silent running (12. 521)

We appreciated the chance to revisit the works of graphic designer Edward Wadsworth, best known as a forerunner of the art movement known as Vorticism which saw a practical—though possibly not as effective as hoped—application in transferring dazzle camouflage designs for the Royal Navy fleet during World War I (see previously)—through the medium of his woodcuts. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s fourth studio album was inspired in concept and cover art by a 1983 gallery showing of Wadsworth’s works. Conscripted as a sub-lieutenant himself, Wadsworth’s monochromatic pieces reflect the same maritime and industrial themes and abstractions to decode and encode. Much more from John Coulthart’s Feuilleton at the link up top.

el pueblo de nuestra señora la reina de los ángeles del río porciúncula (12. 520)

In response to rallies against US immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles over the weekend, Trump has federalised the Californian National Guard, deploying two-thousand troops to quell the protests. Over a dozen individuals have been arrested as agitators and insurrectionists for attempting to impede law enforcement activities as ICE agents clash with residents and have apprehended more than one hundred individuals suspected of being undocumented immigrants in sweeps that have so far been limited to isolated areas in the Paramount City, the garment district and the Civic Centre. Defence secretary Hegseth also threatened to mobilise marines if the violence continues. The state’s governor counters (whom Trump referred to as Gavin Newscum for his inability to control RIOTS and LOOTERS) that there is no shortage of law enforcement officials and that Trump only wants a spectacle and an excuse to escalate the situation and urges advocates to remain peaceful and not give the administration what it wants. Preparing for such raids and mass-deportations since Trump’s reelection, the ACLU and other groups championing immigrants have been coordinating efforts for outreach and advocacy as well, with city councilmember Eunisses Hernandez pushing back on the pledge that ICE would focus their efforts on dangerous criminals, coming at the time of graduation season and Pride Month celebrations: “It’s never, ever, ever been the case, because when they come for one of us, they come for all of us—and we have to remember that.”

gitlow v new york (12. 519)

Whilst ultimately narrowly upholding the conviction of Socialist politician and journalist Benjamin Gitlow for the publication of his manifesto that called for the violent overthrow of the American government under New York’s criminal anarchy law, the landmark case decided this day in 1925 by the US supreme court, headed by chief justice William Taft, significantly affirmed that amendment XIV did extend the First Amendment’s provisions (through the due process clause) protecting freedom of speech and the press from to the constituent states and their governments were bound to respect these fundamental liberties.

One of the first major cases involving the Bill of Rights, it defined the scope of the guarantees and defined the standard to which a state’s or the federal government would be held should it try to criminalise or suppress publication or distribution. While most of the justices agreed that calling for an unlawful coup exceeded the limits of free speech, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr dissented, saying that governments should only be permitted to do so under the clear and present danger test and that indefinite advocacy is not the same thing as conscription and subversive action. Gitlow’s case was the first brought to the supreme court by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Gitlow was represented by renown defence attorney Clarence Darrow and the ruling has been cited in numerous later judgements as precedent.   

 

synchronoptica 

one year ago: a visit to Ellertshäusen See (with synchronoptica)

seven years ago: the G7 in Quebec plus Project Maven

eight years ago: Trump motels plus J Edgar Hoover tried to convince Disney to produce Christian cartoons

nine years ago: plebiscites, the Bilderberg in Dresden, wage distribution in filmmaking, crimes of the art plus reflecting on y2k

ten years ago: the Pope defends science,  Big Pharma, assorted links to revisit plus the Hobo Museum of Britt Iowa

way-marker (12. 518)

Whilst assigned light duty convalescing from an injury in battle with a regiment of the corps of engineers working on the construction of the Alaska-Canada highway to connect the noncontiguous territory with the forty-eight lower states in 1942 near Watson Lake in the Yukon and on the border with British Columbia, homesick GI Pvt Carl K Lindley was tasked with repairing sign post that gave direction and distance to various points along the tote road that had been damaged. Deciding to personalise the project a bit by adding a marker pointing to his hometown of Danville Illinois (forty-four hundred kilometres due southwest), Lindley had started a tradition that continues to this day. First fellow soldiers began adding directions to their own places of birth and once the artery was opened to the public in 1948, travellers from all over the world have stopped at the Sign Post Forest have contributed their own street signs and license plates covering an area of several hectares that extends through the surrounding woods. More from Weird Universe at the link above.

ce qu’elle a dit, ce soir-là (12. 517)

A few members having trialed an early version of the song at CBGBs in December of 1975 opening for the Ramones, refining it further over the next two years for their debut performance at the same venue in 1977, the Talking Heads (previously) have released an official music video for their hit number in the lead up to the fiftieth anniversary of their debut studio album. Featuring Saoirse Ronan in very relatable circumstances with those inuring but burdening routines that can become a trigger that has a resolution over the short arc of narrative that is neither violent nor obvious.

*    *    *    *    *

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth the revisit (with synchronoptica)

seven years ago: fantasy video games, duty to be informed, the Day of the Tiles (1788), a kei truck decorating competition plus more links to enjoy

eight years ago: David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech, amplifying random noise plus the Roman road network as a tube map

nine years ago: a geopolitical flow-chart, Italy’s industrial heritage plus former German royals as ceremonial presidents

ten years ago: textiles and technology, farming birds plus the Rod Pyramid outside of Frankfurt

 

fly towards those dreams you’ve left so very, so very far behind (12. 516)

Released on this day in 1969, Empty Sky is Elton John’s debut studio album, and the harpsichord track (later remastered with piano and orchestra for Don’t Shoot Me—I’m Only the Piano Player) below, which became the most famous and enduring song from the record still occasionally performed at live shows and in 1990 for the funeral service of young HIV/AIDS victim Ryan White, has been described by the duo of John and Taupin as their first collaboration that they were genuinely excited about putting out. Although the premier work never topped the charts, critics roundly agreed that it deserved a deep listen and demonstrated John’s potential. The hymn’s lyrics give the account of a pigeon flying high and free after being released from its metal coop by a sympathetic hand.

apocalypse hier et demain (12. 515)

Realising the resonance of revelation seems less abstract now than in more peaceful and sanguine times, a special exhibition put together by the Bibliothèque nationale de France of images and interpretations of the End of Days spanning from medieval manuscripts to nineteenth and twentieth century depictions, like the pictured rendition from chapter twenty of the enchained dragon locked away for a millennium from Symbolist draughtsman Odilon Redon, curated in a fashion that is meant to make visitors reflect on the choices that brought us to this eschatological inflection point and the spiritual housekeeping that might prove a measure redeeming rather than a fatalistic preoccupation with the end of the world. From the Koinē Greek incipit ἀποκάλυψις for unveiling, the prophetic text of John of Patmos, a series of visions recorded in the Book of Revelations in a grotto on the small Aegean volcanic island received by one of Jesus’ apostles banished like many others of this new cult seen as a political subversive to a penal colony and sentenced to hard labour. After a missive to the Seven Churches of Asia—“he who has an ear, let him listen to what the Holy Spirit say”—relating his instructions, John commits his fantastic and symbolic disclosures in florid detail with iconic and inscrutable figures like the Son of Man among seven lampstands, the Whore of Babylon, the Beast with Seven Heads, the Four Horsemen, the Woman Clothed with the Sun. The numbers seven and four in this context refer respectively the perfection of the hereafter and the imperfection of the present world according to ancient numerological traditions. Much more on the showing from Hyperallergic at the link above.

synchronoptica

one year ago: an early, dark version of ChatGPT (with synchronoptica), commencement addresses plus an extraordinary tree specimen in New Zealand

seven years ago: guidelines for nurturing democracy, THX’ Deep Note plus shape-shifting ghouls

eight years ago: Putin’s playbook, medieval games and pastimes plus continued tensions between Germany and Türkiye

nine years ago: the Lollards, diplomatics, a new Banksy graffiti  plus the US attempt to annex Iceland

thirteen years ago: the passage of Venus, flea market finds plus distorted Google maps views

a fine bromance (12. 514)

Although it was bound to happen eventually (see also), we were a little surprised that the very public and acrimonious split between Elon Musk and Donald Trump took as long as it did to occur, with insults exchanged on their respective social media platforms coming to a breaking point during Trump’s meeting with the Chancellor of Germany, Merz (see below) did not seem quite to know what to make of the US president’s asides: “You saw a man who was very happy when her stood behind the Oval desk—even with a black eye,” asking Musk if he wanted some concealer, which Musk declined. “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore.” Their partnership showed its first signs of strain with reservations over Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, ultimately ratcheted up to calling in a “disgusting abomination” and threatening to his influence to unseat Republican members who vote for it, discarding restraint and reluctance to air their private differences. Trump appeared at first only slightly taken aback over what was characterised as full-throated endorsement of his economy and domestic policy omnibus bill and only update because language mandating the accelerated adoption of electric vehicles was removed from the legislation, which prompted Musk to unleash his ire. Having announced his support for Trump after the failed assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, Musk told Trump that he would not have won the election without his help, both on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter and his generous donations. “Such ingratitude.” Trump then responded on his Truth Social that he had fired Musk from DOGE as he had worn out his welcome. Musk then escalated the feud even further denying he had been fired and re-tweeting calls for Trump to be impeached and accusing the government of suppressing the release the files on Jeffrey Epstein and his underage sex trafficking ring because they implicated Trump. Unclear if he will follow through with the threat, Trump concluding that a big cost savings measure would be to terminate the billions spent on Tesla and SpaceX government subsidies and defence contracts. Rightwing writer who Musk sired his fourteenth known child with, Ashley St Clair, now estranged and suing for alimony, @‘d Trump, “Let me know if u need any breakup advice.”