kkk-mart (13. 616)

Disbanded in 1869 by general consensus of its members, the secret order founded by US civil war veterans of the Confederacy in order to terrorise formerly enslaved individuals, the fraternity, the Ku Klux Klan—also styling itself as a secret empire with the same attendant hierarchy and bureaucracy of a cosplay kingdom—reconstituted itself and hateful message as an America-First society in 1915 after the premiere of DW Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation. After experiencing the natural consequences of public marches unmasked, Klonvocation rallies adopted robes and headdresses for their knights to maintain anonymity whilst displaying rank and seniority of members’ allegiance, with the associated merchandising being big business aside from ideological position. The merch soon became a prerequisite, with mandated nancying and homosocial symbols at every Klan event, the garb, a ceremonial sword representing white Christian nationalism, sanctified Klan water for absolution and used to baptise new members. Items were available in a full-colour glossy catalogue, which also included banners, emblems, figurines and literature like the Kloran, the Klan’s book of scripture. still in circulation today, hate having kept up with inflation but sales and dues siphoned off by other contemporary movements.

tell me about a complex man (13. 615)

Instead of the usual fare of the podcast and talk-show publicity circuit, we really appreciated The Daily from The New York Times—introduced with appropriately Homeric epithets—had an enthusiastic panel discussion just ahead of the release of Christopher Nolan’s cinematic adaptation of The Odyssey with scholar and translator Emily Wilson (whose work I’ve been meaning to read for some time now and whose take on the first line of the epic poem, “Sing, o Muse” above inspired the director, with a penchant for complicated and flawed protagonists, to assay the project) and author and classicist Madeline Miller, who wrote Song of Achilles and Circe. It was a fascinating panel discussion about the characters, language, tradition and themes of wandering, homecoming and hospitality of the timeless and endlessly interpreted tale. Through the lens of detractions by purists and pedants and provocateurs, attacks that the authors are well-accustomed (Wilson’s website has three contact forms: Interviews/Speaking Requests, General Inquiries and Misogynistic Trolling) and currently applied to Nolan’s work with casing choices (these same people got very upset about a Black Little Mermaid) they arrive a genuinely insightful look at the narrative, academic honesty and conclude that whatever choices that a version makes (in a long-lineage of adaptations and critiques), omissions, Hollywood-endings that one cannot hurt Homer, that the story is invulnerable.

survey says (13. 614)

Debuting on this day on ABC station affiliates with host British actor and comedian Richard Dawson, Family Feud quickly became one the most popular day time television game shows in America, enduring in syndication until the present.  The format pits two groups of competing, extended families, against each other, asking contestants to guess the most popular results of audience polls. Contractually obligated to make Dawson the MC of the programme, his run lasting until 1985, the show’s producers had originally wanted William Shatner, Star Trek having been discontinued a few years earlier (see previously here and here), to host. Watching the family dynamics of the panelist was always fun and the questions and responses pushed the envelope of what was fit to air with low-brow entendre.

 

synchronoptica

one year ago: Mimolette (with synchronoptica), a Jaws text-based game, more on the Carnac Stones and other megaliths plus more on optical telegraphy

two years ago: plural forms of compound expressions, assorted links to revisit plus Disco Demolition Night (1979)

three years ago: the Golden Spike of the Anthropocene Era, a crowd-pirated movie plus more links to enjoy

four years ago: St Veronica plus even more links worth the revisit

five years ago: In the Year 2525 

six years ago: Trump ally Roger Stone plus a smart facial covering 

day one-hundred thirty-one (13. 613)

Ukraine nearly completely cuts off the annexed territory of the Crimean peninsula during the height of tourist season, whilst Russia targets Ukrainian cropland with incendiary bombs to destroy its grain harvest. The US launches a fresh wave of attacks as Iran announces that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and continues to strike as ships attempt to transit—American negotiators speaking for Iran the day prior, saying that the Revolutionary Guard Corps regretted targeting tankers and expressed a willingness to return to dialogue. Accused of enabling illegal settlement in Gaza and the West Bank, the EU moves to place restrictions on the export of building materials and construction equipment to Israel.  

meta incognita (13. 612)

On this day in 1576, having weighed anchor around a month earlier with Queen Elizabeth’s financial backing, explorer and privateer Martin Frobisher, whilst on the first of three voyages to the New World, in search of the Northwest Passage to Cathay and the East Indies, spotted the coast of Greenland, although assuming it was the non-existent phantom island Frisland (also called Fixland or Portlandia) that appeared appeared on virtually all maps of the North Atlantic for a century, dissuaded from claiming it for the Crown as chartered territory. Landing in the eponymous bay on Baffin Island in the present day Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut (it was that then too), Canada, Frobisher failed to find a new route but was encouraged and petitioned for follow-on excursions, having brought back an interesting rock specimen and influenced during his service in Africa’s Gold Coast, having managed to seize a lode of precious specie that the Portuguese had procured. Although metallurgical experts told Frobisher that his souvenir was hornblende, not classed as a specific composition, like Fools’ Gold, but a category of otherwise worthless rubble that appears like ore-bearing substrate. Dissatisfied with this assessment from the assayers, Frobisher brought the sample to a Venetian alchemist living in London, one Giovannia Battista Agnello, whom had previously convinced Elizabeth to debase small coinage with a teston of lead plated with copper (see previously), whom, arguing that one must know how to flatter nature—“Bisogna sapere adulare la natura”—claimed there was gold in it. For his second voyage, the queen lent Frobisher additional ships with a compliment of Cornish miners, which was more devoted to collecting rather than discovery. The expedition returned to Milford Haven in September of 1577, carrying two-hundred short tonnes of valueless rock. Despite the disappointment, Elizabeth retained a strong faith in the potential of the new colonies and authorised a third trip to this Unknown Shore, which she named herself. The territory of Nunavut’s was also named after Frobisher from devolution in 1942 until 1987 when it was renamed ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ (Iqaluit, place of many fish).

count binface (13. 611)

Regretful that UK politics has been forced to the back of the queue lately what with everything else going on the world, I was a bit grateful to find entree with British scriptwriter, comedian and so called novelty candidate—though in the tradition of Lord Buckethead and Screaming Lord Sutch, dismissed at one’s peril, Jonathan David Harvey—standing against Boris Johnson multiple times for different offices (under his previous persona), Liz Truss, Andy Burham (centre) and now running against Nigel Farage in the by-election of the parliamentary constituency of the Reform UK leader, Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. Self-described as an intergalactic space warrior and commander of the Recyclons (like a Dr Who baddie but with the best intentions, championing true social reform, environmental stewardship and returning broadcast teletext), Binface chiefly campaigns to increase voter engagement and is not a serious contender for party leadership, though managing to unseat a candidate from their home county, he would certainty put the breaks on the career progression of his opponent. Facing controversy over his finances and allegations of taking ￡5 000 000 bribe, Farage “resigned” to contest the results before voting—technically a member of the House of Commons cannot resign, they can only face indignity, death or defeat, though a longstanding legal fiction, Farage was appointed as the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, a procedural device to circumvent this restriction, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Appointment to a crown office disqualifies one from membership in Parliament, and this limbo usually is intended only for those tendering their resignations and not a staging area for a comeback.

’til now, i always got by on my own (13. 610)

Written for the band by the collaboration of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, whose credits include “Eternal Flame,” “Like a Virgin,” “True Colors” as performed by Cyndi Lauper and “I Touch Myself” for Divinyls, Heart began a three-week run at the pinnacle of the US singles charts on this day in 1987 with its most successful track since their mid-eighties comeback, “Alone.” Earlier in their career, the Vancouver-based group had come close to this achievement with “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You,” and “Magic Man,” the emotionally raw power ballad went on to international success, holding in the top five in Norway, Ireland, the UK, Switzerland, West Germany and Canada. The below music video, debuting in June of the same year, was directed by Marty Callner (a sports producer who was inspired to get into music by the video for “Bette Davis Eyes” and was behind videos for Stevie Nicks, Cher, Chaka Khan, The Cranberries, among others) and portrays a Romeo & Juliet balcony scene, vocalist Ann Wilson serenading guitarist Nancy Wilson, her younger sister.

9x9 (13. 609)

washington state: the incorporated polity was originally to be named Colombia after its chief river but people feared it would be confused with the national capital district, so gave it the name of the city that comprises DC 

hemi-finals: strange alignment of the last eight World Cup national teams  

mr pibb is aspirational—he’s currently in med school: sodas with a doctorate  

zero-sum game: circular deals and a shameless Ponzi scheme sends everyone to the moon  

false equivalence: political tribalism and the whataboutism of the Right for the Left 

a show about nothing: a scrolly-telling of the history of the sitcom Seinfeld—see previously here and here—via Web Curios  

wake up neo: a signet ring with OLED display shows the cascading green code from The Matrix  

après moi, le déluge: a forecasting tool for sea-level rise to drown the world  

separated by a common language: what North Americans call a cookie, the British call a biscuit—and what Americans call a biscuit has no exact counterpart in UK cuisine. Discuss.

synchronoptica

one year ago: the Terracotta Army (with synchronoptica) plus assorted links to revisit

two years ago: double-click jargon, more on the zombification of the legacy web plus Biden vows to stay in the US presidential race   

three years ago: a secret weather modification programme for Vietnam, a ska special plus more links to enjoy

four years ago: the Hollywood Bowl, Avogadro’s Number plus US vs USSR in chess championship (1972)

five years ago: a stone ship in Sweden 

six years ago: the Ehrenburg of Ehrenbach