macabre magic (13. 907)

Shortly after leaving the priesthood to pursue the vocations of poet and playwright, Joseph Pintauro collaborated with illustrator Norman Laliberté to write his Seasonal Quartet: Rainbow Box, a tetralogy of four volumes published as a cube. Along with The Peace Box, The Rabbit Box, A Box of Sun, The Magic Box was a thanatopsis and a reflection on how death is not something to be regarded with dread, a consequence of living—
though that impulse to fear the hereafter probably is the driver behind much of what we all do and don’t do—and is both very much a product of the aesthetic of the late 1960s and early 1970s and timeless in its currency in terms of style and as a heuristic for gauging and dispelling haunted, halting anxieties with tricks and treats—likewise very much sought after then as now. More from the Daily Heller at the link above.

♇ (13. 906)

Composed over the course of three years after a discussion about astrology piqued his interest, leading to associates to remark, during the creative process that resulted in his most popular and enduring orchestral suite that the arranger and teacher and teacher was becoming quite the skilled interpreter of horoscopes—to which Gustav Holst replied, relatably, “I only study things that suggest music to me,” The Planets, Opus № 32 premiered to an invited audience in 1918 at a concert hall in Langham Place. Resounding with the public and highly influential over the decades, particularly the first movement, Mars, the Bringer of War ♂, with its militaristic strains echoing in video game soundtracks and film scores, its impression heard in the themes of John Williams and the Imperial March, several adaptations of the suite for full orchestra have been made, including attempts to add the eighth planet, Pluto, discovered twelve years after the piece’s debut. The most well-received and fitting completion of the planetary cycle was Colin Matthews 2000 contribution, Pluto, the Renewer—though unclear what the status of the solar system suite became six years later once Pluto was downgraded.

*     *     *     *     *

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit (with synchronoptica) plus an alien landing pad in the Argentine desert

two years ago: more links to enjoy plus the Berlin Crisis of 1961 

three years ago: even more links 

four years ago:  brittle egos bristling at Karen’s Garden plus modern sundials

five years ago: the International Meridian Conference of 1884, The Last Picture Show plus an early alternative currency

six years ago: the father of psychophysics, red food dye, another failed doomsday prophecy plus the Humument series

eight years ago: the US Gun Control Act of 1968, the WWII bombing of Kassel, the spread of disinformation, anticipatory libraries for other worlds plus RIP to the inventor of the Little Library

 

day two hundred twenty six (13. 905)

Meeting with Putin in Moscow, US special envoy lauds the Russian leader as a great humanitarian as talks to end the conflict in Ukraine take place in the background, the EU hinting that Kyiv might cede the Donbass region in exchange for full integration and NATO membership, unverified that such a deal might be in the offing, it is certainly better than the unconditional surrender that the Trump regime has be pushing for months, Ukraine having originally given up its navy and nuclear warheads at the urging of Washington negotiators. Reports emerge that the Starshield throttling was intentional and at the direction of Elon Musk. Russia signals it is ready to reengage in peace talks—to the exclusion of Europe. Iranian foreign minister Araghchi reiterates that whilst Tehran is committed to finding a dignified diplomatic resolution to the war that the US and Israel started, the Islamic Republic will also defend itself without compromise. The Revolutionary Guard announce a new weapon in the Father of All Bombs meant to counter rumbling that Trump is drawing up plans to destroy energy infrastructure with MOABs. Netanyahu issues new threats against the Supreme Leader at a graduation ceremony for military cadets.

give me three weeks in hyperspace with her—you know, i might make a few points (13. 904)

Empire director Gary Kurtz engaged French filmmaker Michel Parbot to create a documentary for Lucasfilm, following the actors and crews for six months of shooting at Elstree Studios and the Finese soundstage as well as Hoth scenes in Norway. Only a few excerpts were shown for promotional material and the hour long-piece was never shown in its entirety and presumed lost—that is, until now (and possibly for a limited time) we learn courtesy of Miss Cellania. The individual shadowing the Space Opera’s second instalment was a seasoned freelance war reporter and did several reportages on subjects like crash-test dummies, the Cannes Film Festival, high-rise construction, the Warren Commission, life in Cuba, the Vietnam war, segregation in the US and Apartheid in South Africa. In retrospect, it seems the actors are unaware of the story arc and what’s in store for the “love triangle” among principles, today being what would have been Carrie Fisher’s seventieth birthday.

*     *     *     *     *

synchronoptica

one year ago: more on Project West Ford (with synchronoptica)

two years ago: airport geolocation codes and shared abbreviations plus Musk selling votes 

three years ago: the land of a thousand lakes 

four years ago: assorted links to revisit,  Livre de Thot plus a feline opera

five years ago: St Ursula, the first Vikings in North America plus more vocabulary building

six years ago: the origins of Op-Ed, the Dutch art of doing nothing,  NYC’s digital subway map, app, the sentō culture of Japan, the Royal Meteorological Society’s PoTY plus coppicing and pollarding

seven years ago: IKEA tarot 

eight years ago: artist Barbara Kruger plus leaf-peeping in the Rhön

 

day two hundred twenty five (13. 903)

Alberta overwhelmingly rejects separatist agenda in a special referendum. France and Italy plan for a massive police surge to quell protests. Israel conducts airstrikes over Gaza City. Despite continuing indirect peace talks, Iran’s Supreme Leader announces that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed through the end of Trump’s term—Gulf oil exports have surpassed pre-war levels in aggregate in spite of the conflict. US Vice president Vance declines to echo Trump’s endorsement for the re-election of Netanyahu.  UK re-arrests suspects linked to the alleged terror plot on RAK Fairford as fighter jets are deployed to Saudi Arabia to counter Houthi attacks. Yemeni refugees fleeing fighting cross the Red Sea en masse for Djibouti.

8x8 (13. 902)

mba: professor calls for the abolition of business schools for wreaking society  

gravesite: death, online legacy and estate executors  

six°: the true centre of Hollywood plus plotting past and future trajectories—see also—via Waxy  

only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun who’s trying to stop another good guy with a gun who’s jumping out of his vehicle to run and stop a bad guy with a gun who’s blasting his way into an elementary school: a vicious cycle by Kathryn Baecht  

rarebit: once the reserve of the aristocracy in Britain, rabbits became accessible to the lower classes following the Plague raised the living-standard of the working poor—see also—via tmn  

the sound of suddard: a growing collection of vintage vinyl recordings appearing nowhere else on the internet 

rented megaphones: the suspension of the Instagram “No Kings” account just prior to massive global rallies speaks to digital demonstration and trust vested in platforms—see also 

the landlord’s game: millions of iterations of Monopoly (previously) reveal the winningest strategies

synchronoptica

one year ago: Cornish custom cushions (with synchronoptica) plus assorted links to revisit 

two years ago: pivotal tech year 2004, a method for guaranteeing equal chance and distribution, a West German crime drama plus a rare Mac Tonight clip emerges 

three years ago: Bigfoot footage (1967) 

four years ago: jungle gyms of East Germany,  more spectacular images from the JWST plus Liz Truss resigns

five years ago: St Artemis of Antioch,  Play Misty for Me (1971) plus the dedication of the Sydney Opera House (1973)

six years ago: more links to enjoy, the execution of Klaus Störtebeker plus a remembrance of artist Enzo Mari

seven years ago: synthwave Star Wars,  documenting car crashes plus the end of grazing season

eight years ago: the Saturday Night Massacre,  artist Giacomo Balla plus even more links worth the revisit 

 

7x7 (13. 901)

catch me if you can: Frank Abagnale in his own words 

ultimata thule: the dark history behind that iconic daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe 

use case scenario: representation in AI and the overly-confident cohort of fabricated industry leaders   

fugs for peace: radical, counter-culture figure Ed Sanders  

rough cut: an hour-long workprint of Space Jam from early 1996  

signor formica: ETA Hoffman’s novella about the Italian Baroque artist Salvator Rosa, painter of witches  

super scam me: turning the tables on confidence trickers

day two hundred twenty five (13. 900)

US strikes Iran’s Konarak naval base on the southeastern coast, in the first attack in nearly two months, possibly breaking Trump’s pledge not to attack until after the midterms. Houthi rebels kill over fifty Yemeni government soldiers shooting ballastics at a training centre. Pakistan suspends trade with Iran as violence escalates on both sides of the border. Egyptian parliament delays a planned vote on military assistance for Saudi Arabia. Israel bombards Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Funding shortages force UN World Food Programme to end support for a half a million Palestinians in Gaza as deadly drone strikes kill in Khan Younis, a daily occurrence.