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Though we are intrigued past the point of relief and hope to joy and exuberance at the prospect of Winfrey running for US high office we’d all do well to remember that enthusiasm ought to be conditional and contingent. As exhausting as last year’s campaigns were—and in the case of the US, delivering an incredulously atrocious outcome—the notion of an extended, three-year ordeal makes one shudder and illustrates how bad the present is to even entertain the idea that voters are possessed of such stamina.
We draw no equivalence, despite the celebrity stature, and are confident that Winfrey would be humble and surround herself with and defer to subject-matter experts and would be a far better representative of the America public to the rest of the world and would be compassionate and inclusive. These are all very fine and agreeable things that Winfrey incorporates into the empire and brand that she has established, but governance by fame and affinity is probably more alike on both ends of the spectrum than we are comfortable with admitting. Having a platform and agenda separates our Oprah from the indifference, laziness and nihilism of the doltish, criminal syndicate of Trump’s camp to be sure, but I have to wonder if lurching (blowback that’s systemic to democracy) to the other extreme isn’t just a continuation of baiting cultural warfare and stark polarisation and raises the question of what the role of politicians and being governed means. Is statecraft without experience (however that is gauged) or as a chosen career-path just brand-loyalty?  Probably both Trump’s and Winfrey’s relation to their fan-base—not constituencies—are similar and while the latter is certainly preferable to the former, neither I’d venture to wager will attain the political and civic maturity needed to work together and affect real and enduring change until the American president acquires the preparation and experience to govern.  Granted, we would be content with an America that exudes just a modicum of confidence that it won’t start World War III or further savage the environment and if they’re electing celebrities, they might as well elect good ones.  Trump has demonstrated that he is unwilling and incapable of rising to the occasion, no matter what his handlers and surrogate try, but Winfrey, like other personalities that have taken up the mantle of public-service, can, if she chooses, fill her quiver with the tools of state. 

kreuzstich

Once again Colossal commandeers our attention the work of the crafty Swiss artist Ulla-Stina Wikander who lovingly and ceremoniously retires household objects by enveloping them in cross-stitch.  Here’s an alternate tradition for recognising the career of long, faithful service of domestic artefacts from Japanese folklore. Like a bronzed baby shoe, is there some everyday item that you’d like to have encased and memorialised in such a fashion? See a whole gallery of her creations plus her personal collection of traditional, inspiring patterns at the links up top.

shōgatsu

Since the late nineteenth century, Japan’s official civil calendar has followed the Gregorian, Western one but retains many traditional elements of the luni-solar cycle, including dispatching new year’s greeting cards, often based on the zodiacal character of the coming year.
Beginning 16 February, we leave behind the Fire Rooster and enter the time of the Earth Dog. Spoon & Tamago have nearly completed a whole cycle of animals, having rung in the season by posting an assortment of post cards for a decade and among their selection this time, we really liked this salutation from Individual Locker whose kanji arrangement of the characters for 2018 suggest a rising sun over Mount Fuji.

urban blight

Via Messy Nessy Chic, we’re introduced to the digitally enhanced photography of Bucharest based Andrei Lacatusu whose series called Social Decay depicts social media platforms as run-down neon signage. I wonder if these realistic relics aren’t a prelude of a coming shift away from the attention-economy.

stará, stará night

Inspired by more venerable horologes in Prague and Rouen, the village of Stará Bystrica (stará means old) in Northern Slovakia incorporated an astronomical clock into its central square under major reconstruction in 2009.
The modern clockwork is satellite- and radio-controlled, informed by atomic clocks and is the most accurate of its type, with an astrolabe displaying the phases of the Moon and the march of the constellations. The rippling, billowing design of the tower is a stylised form of Maria Dolorosa, patroness of the country and the tolling of the hour is accompanied by a procession of saints connected with the area—including brothers Cyril and Methodius.