Watching Over Us

While having little knowledge of the esoteric, it's hard to escape the overwhelming creepiness of our United Kingdom Supreme Court.
Even I can discern a big friendly owl's head top right and the eye of providence at its heart. Though it may be the camera angle...

....but probably not.
The Court symbol is built around Omega, finality, the end.

But the end of what?

Does the ascendancy of the english rose over the wilting leek and thistle mean anything? Or are they just bound to each other forever? Certainly some see the court as a challenge to Scots law, even in its debased post Dunblane and Lockerbie form.

I fully understand the need for a supreme court. The United States have one and therefore so should we. (Though it does have heavily caveated written constitution as a perspective frame). However, as a creature of the serially useless Lord Falconer, a certain doubt over the true purpose and implications should be entertained.

I eagerly await the excellent attentions of the Vigilant Citizen on the formal aspects of this fascinating gothic revival phoenix.

Pow -El gets a proper job

Having tirelessly served the people for the last few years, rather than retreat to his ice fortress, the sinister Pow-El has opted for a little ME time:

Jonathan Powell, one of Tony Blair's closest advisers during his time as UK prime minister, is set to enter the banking world after agreeing to join one of Wall Street's biggest firms.

Morgan Stanley's NY base which, like most of these buildings, strongly resembles a big friendly owl

Don't fret, the government is still in safe, scaly hands:

The appointment will further strengthen ties between the Labour government and the US bank after Gordon Brown appointed Jeremy Heywood as head of domestic policy in June.

Mr Heywood, who quit as principal private secretary to Mr Blair in 2003, subsequently spent four years as co-head of Morgan Stanley's UK investment banking business before taking his position in Mr Brown's cabinet.

What special expertise will Pow-El bring to the house of Morgan Stanley? After all, his only real experience is in the controlled demolition of Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Why don't you take off that itty-bitty shirt. Them panties too. "

What, beyond his "young, purdy mouth", can this modest destroyer of societies offer a merchant bank?
According to Morgan Stanley's recruitment supremo (above):

Mr Powell will be responsible for introducing the bank to important governmental and corporate clients he met during his time as aide to Mr Blair.

We have underground samizdat publication, The Daily Telegraph to thank for confirming what we at the Alliance have long suspected:

It has become increasingly commonplace for investment banks to hire former government ministers and politicians to introduce them to clients and brief them on government policy.....
Former Conservative prime minister John Major is a senior adviser to Credit Suisse while ex-German chancellor Gerhard Schröder works part-time for Rothschild.
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi spent time with Goldman Sachs before and after his first spell as Italian leader in the 1990s.

Morgan Stanley declined to comment.

I hope you, brothers and sisters, do not feel the same way.