serial comma (13. 096)

In honour of Wikipedia’s recent birthday (with the reminder that the best belated gift that one can give is their time and attention in editing contributions—though cash always helps too) our fellow spelunker directs us to their Manual of Style for English language formatting and tone standards that’s a fun, quirky page to review that could incite pedantic debates, like the Oxford comma, without being over prescriptive and invites one to think about their own writing style, preferences, clarity, consistency and unwritten rules. We are also reminded how the editing history of all articles are public and previous to the earliest versions circa 2001 are only a few clicks away and one can appreciate how far we’ve come with this community project that’s turned into something quite invaluable and first to press as the paper of record on so many current events, undergirded with deep and circumspect research through self-organisation and the dedication of volunteers with no hierarchy to pass judgement.

selbstbildnis mit zottelhut (13. 095)

Through the rather remarkable discovery of a previously unknown miniature portrait commission kept in the archives of the sitter’s descendants for over five hundred years, we are introduced to the early Renaissance mannerist artist called Hans Baldung “Grien”—adding an nickname he acquired from his student days for his penchant in working with the colour green, incorporating it into his monogram ʜɢʙ. After studying under master Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg Baldung founded his own studio and workshop in Strasbourg, supplementing his projects by painting the aristocracy of the Free Imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. An advocate of the Reformation, like Dürer and Cranach, Baldung produced paintings, woodcuts and prints (also working in stained glass and tapestries) traditional religious settings with protestant iconography and the usual mythological allegories but also indulged a life-long preoccupation with the subject of witches and witch-hunters, among the first artists to concentrate on the theme (his monicker may also have been a conscious echo of the German word “grienhals,” a German synonym for hexe) as well as nontraditional motifs like Phyllis and Aristotle, the female form in general and depictions of eroticism, heretofore unseen in the art world in any medium.

too perfect—you poor fools, your own creation destroyed you (13. 094)

As ugly and tone-deaf as recycling Nazi slogans by the Trump regime has been, the irony of the Secretary of War’s visit to Elon Musk’s SpaceX headquarters in Starbase, Texas has achieved escape velocity in rolling out a vision to make Star Trek a reality—see previously and missing the franchise’s vision of a utopian, post-scarcity society (not withstanding serious problems with Paramount and CBS, please don’t appropriate Star Trek for your nefarious agenda)—with the Arsenal of Freedom campaign, lifted from the title of a 1988 episode of TNG. Neither Musk nor Hegseth, excitedly promoting the integration of artificial intelligence models across the defence department to inform and expedite decision making at all levels, seemed to recalled that in the season one cautionary tale, the Enterprise on an expedition to the planet Minos to search for a missing Federation vessel meets a holographic, fast-talking weapons sales representative touting an automated offensive system, Echo Papa 607 drone fleet package (made with special parts but not like our robot friends from MST3K), the rogue AI programmed for self-preservation with the capability to upgrade itself to counter any threat, eventually realising that the missing ship and the entire Minosian civilisation were destroyed by escalating machine warfare. Captain Picard ends the sales pitch and demonstration, having nearly taken out the Enterprise as well, by saying that they will buy it and sabotages the central command computer before leaving orbit.

synchronoptica

one year ago: Americans turn to a TikTok alternative (with synchronopticæ), cartoon show-bibles plus assorted links to enjoy

fourteen years ago: more German un-words

fifteen years ago: backing up one’s devices 

jardin del edén (13. 093)

Via tmn, we are taken on a tour of the groves of the Todolí foundation on the east coast of Valcencia, which produces over five hundred varieties of uncommon citrus, the largest collection in the world, fostering a natural refuge for endemic frogs, birds and pollinators—whilst supplying markets and gourmet restaurants, promoting biodiversity and conducting research to bear these usual fruits through the changing climate and to come out on the other side with more harmonious and sustainable farm to table strategies. Humans are the only primates that have lost the ability to produce vitamin C internally and need to supplement their diet accordingly. There are twelve groupings: citrons, pummelos, mandarins, papaya, sweet and bitter oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, kumquats and trifoliate with exotic examples of the latter in the Buddha’s Hand and exquisite finger limes. Much more on the wide spectrum of citrus at the links above.

bespoke commissions (13. 092)

Corresponding with the aesthetic of McMansion Hell or the yachting-set, we are directed to these custom models put out by Rolls Royce recently that indulge every whim of those who can afford conveyance in excess of a half a million above and beyond their standard luxury appointments gleaned from the errant news alerts and newsletters from a former automotive journalist’s mailing list. The individuals clients are not clients are not named and don’t need to be as all their conspicuous ostentation is on display and illustrates the uncanny valley of human experience that the rich find themselves in—adoring one’s pets is universal so is embracing one’s hobbies or expressing one’s favourite colours but its as if this hyperbole, achievable by much less costly means (the dog certainly doesn’t know the difference) is as if an alien or AI tried to understand these qualities and way over did it. Much more from Victoria Scott—including a gamer edition that compelled her to write the article (I drive a Rolls-Royce because it’s good for my voice) at the link above.

what a mistaica to make-a (13 .091)

On this day in 1996, the seaplane of Jimmy Buffett, Hemisphere Dancer, whilst taxiing off the coast of Negril was fired upon by the national coast guard mistaking it for a drug-trafficking aircraft. Only sustaining minimal damage with no injuries, the pilot surrendered to authorities following several harrowing minutes of assault and the passenger manifest included U2 members Adam Clayton, Bono and his family as well as Island Records producer Chris Blackwell. The government acknowledged the incident and issued an apology, and Buffett (previously) penned a song several months later to commemorate the rather traumatising event—admitting in the fullness of time that he might have been transporting his own personal stash.

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synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting (with synchronopticæ), Trump’s special envoys to Hollywood plus identified aerial phenomena 

thirteen years ago: clinical studies on marijuana 

fourteen years ago: planet hunters 

sixteen years ago: hircine decor 

dateline (13. 090)

On this day in 1609—with some evidence that the periodical was in circulation already for four years—the first newspaper in Germany and among the first worldwide was published, Avisa Relation oder Zeitung, by printer Julius Adolph von Söhne in Wolfenbüttel (also the home of the Jägermeister distillery) in Niedersachsen with the issue carrying developments and happenings from various countries up-to-date (see also), with the presumption it went out then. The French daily of record Le Figaro was first distributed on this day as well in 1826, named for the Beaumarchais character from Le Mariage de Figaro with a line from his closing monologue “Sans la liberté de blâmer, il’nest point d’éloge flatteur”—without freedom to criticise, there is no room for praise. The first issue of of the journal Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners later to become the Paarl gazette was published in as the first periodical in Afrikaans language in 1876. The leading news agency and wire-service of Italy, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) was also founded today in 1945 by a consortium of the resistance to Mussolini’s fascist regime.

9x9 (13. 089)

crisis actors: Trump supports protests of any authoritarian regime except his own 

wikipedia@25: the Free Encyclopaedia project was started on this day in 2001—see previously, see more  

demumu: popular Chinese app, “Are You Dead?” is a safety tool aimed for a growing demographic of one-person households  

fafo: thousands of World Cup fans are cancelling their tickets, prompting an emergency meeting of the football association  

the revolution won’t be televised: acute disappointment from “liberated” Venezuela—plus Trump was gifted the Nobel peace prize  

limited deployment: contingents of soldiers from European allies arrive in Nuuk to demonstrate NATO resolve  

legacy media: looming challenges for journalism outlets and studios  

mouseover title: xkcd (previously) on sailing rigs 

heimat: US Department of Homeland Security adopts another Nazi slogan