charring cross (12. 826)

Another property saved from falling into abject disrepair from the Spitalfield’s Trust, the Gentle Author directs our attention to the real estate on the market in the Kentish Weald of the remnants of the archbishop’s palace, a favoured respite during the day’s journey from Canterbury to Lambeth Palace in London for centuries as well as hosting Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon (and vast entourage) on their embassy with France’s Francis I for their representatively opulent summit at the Field of Cloth of Gold. Ultimately converted into a dwelling space following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1545 (also the work of Henry under the Reformation) this storied way-station (see also) was redeveloped as a farming complex and is in need of a good caretaker. We wish we had the spare resources for such a noble endeavour lying around.

wormsign (12. 825)

This spectacular image of a lone horseman standing in the mawing mouth of a rocky outcropping in Cappadocia—one of the multitude of “fairy chimneys” or hoodoos (peribacası), the formations named for the Southern Paiute word of the indigenous Native American tribe of the southwest of the continent for a vista inspiring awe and trembling, some the pinnacles and spires in this region of Türkiye have been hewn into ancient dwellings—looking like scene from a wintry Arrakis was captured by Erfurt-based filmmaker and photographer Dennis Schmelz, securing top prize in the annual drone photo competition, the Siena awards, see previously. NPR’s Goats & Soda features more outstanding honourable mentions at the link above.

9x9 (12. 824)

project mind control: Sopranos creator’s next project is about spymaster and chemist Sidney Gottlieb and MKUltra  

perwich letter: a coded seventeen century diplomatic missive deciphered after three hundred and fifty years 

daisy, daisy—give me your answer do: AI models creating their own survival drive to avoid being switched off 

meanwhile back at the academy: new Star Trek series featuring Holly Hunter is to have a coming-of-age teen theme 

critical ponerology theory: a fascinating look at the othering nature of evil 

space mom: veteran actor June Lockhart passes away, aged 100  

anti-deficiency act: anonymous donation meant to defray a fraction of the salaries of the US armed forces revealed as a reclusive billionaire 

bletchley park: a virtual Enigma machine to reverse-engineer in the style of an early 2000s computer game—see previously, see also—via Web Curios 

channelvue: capturing the experience of early 1990s cable channel surfing, a network CEO becomes flummoxed to find her station guide broadcast hijacked—see also 

synchronoptica

one year ago: The Terminator (with synchronopticæ) plus half-baked ideas

thirteen years ago: the cognitive dissonance of political campaigning 

fourteen years ago: the EU experiment, a mysterious manuscript decoded by computer plus the anniversary of the German invention of the telephone

fifteen years ago: printable Halloween costume ideas

sixteen years ago: fall back with the clocks 

seventeen years ago: the McCain-Palin ticket for the US presidency 

haskell free library (12. 823)

Citing “illicit cross-border activities,” the Trump regime has cancelled the century old arrangement for the library (see previously) that straddles the US and Canada line which endured 9/11, previous barment to entry, racist immigration policies enacted under his first term, the COVID pandemic and overtures for annexation that allowed egress from Stanstead Quebec to Derby Line Vermont customs free. Whereas the main entrance lies in America, Canadians are using the emergency exit until a new front door can be built—renovations put on hold during the interregnum.

u sank my battleship (12. 822)

On the anniversary of the liberation of Grenada, as the US is trying to move the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group of five destroyers to the Caribbean Sea ostensibly to launch a ground invasion to affect regime change in Venezuela with the pretence of quelling drug-trafficking by narco-terrorists (scores already killed by highly dubious and extrajudicial strikes on boats in international waters)—with support ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea needing to transit through the Bosphorus and Black Sea in order to rendezvous with the carrier presently at port in Croatia—maybe the future might reckon this deployment as the opening salvo of World War III. Other countries might take advantage of a distracted America operating under the capricious orders of incompetent leadership, and the passage already dicey to say the least with the Russian assault on Ukraine and Türkiye perhaps unwilling to grant the destroyers access to the straits (see previously here and here) after being excluded from the twenty point peace process in Gaza negotiated by Trump. This announced military buildup also comes one day ahead of Argentinian parliamentary elections, which could threaten the coalition government of MAGA acolyte and ally Javier Milei—that is, if the voters aren’t persuaded otherwise.

familiar in his mouth as household words (12. 821)

Occurring on this day (the feast of St Crispin’s) in 1415 in the fields in the fields outside of Azincourt in north France, the decisive and surprise English victory, out-numbered by troops of the opposition marked a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War (Guerre de Cent Ans), humiliating France and boosting the morale of England, leading to the latter’s dominance in the protracted conflict over the duchy of Aquitaine and French throne (see previously here and here) for the next fourteen years—until English defeat during the Siege of Orléans. Henry V re-invaded France in the spring of the same year after negotiations with French court fell apart, with the English king asserting his claim to the kingdom of France through his great-grandfather Edward III—arguably the heir through his mother, Isabella, sister of the last Capetian monarch, Charles IV, but French Salic Law excluded matrilineal succession. For the past couple of iterations of this dispute, the English king would relent and back off the claim provided the French acknowledged English dominion over Aquitaine, Calais and other territories. Henry, however, demanded in exchange for renouncing the crown, a generous dowery for his marriage to Charles VI’s daughter, Catherine of Valois, a literal king’s ransom (payment in arrears for the release of John II—Jean le Bon—held as a hostage in London a century before) and in addition to the settled lands, Anjou, Brittany and Normandy as well. Although France was ready to make some concessions to the deal, it proved to be too bad of a bargain, especially since England had little to leverage—other than squandering peace and stability—and a series of pitched battles commenced, stretching out, with periods of interruption due to plague and other factors, for a hundred and sixteen years. Despite the ultimate loss of continental territory and the rejection of a joint monarchy that saw the rejection of all things French and vice versa (English becoming the official language and French no longer used in court and the classroom), the monarchy of England and Great Britain styled themselves sovereigns of France until 1802, the end of the French Revolution.

modernity in metal and mirrors (12. 820)

With a mission to curate a vanishing aesthetic referred to as millennial or Chinese dreamcore—nostalgic but a bit mordant with the energy of moribund malls, architecture student Liu Yujia has crisscrossed the country on foot, bike and train documenting the building boom of the 1990s and 2000s that echoed the beginning of the era of economic prosperity and unprecedented growth as told through vernacular towers, industrial parks and ageing apartment blocks dismissed by many as ostentatious and ugly, with little regard afforded for their demolition as relics of China’s rise, cleared away to make room for more growth and development. Liu’s catalogue is focused on some ten-thousand structures already slated for the wrecking-ball, hoping to create an archive of these high-rise enclaves that were once important symbols of China’s ambitions for progress. More from Sixth Tone at the link above.

synchronoptica

one year ago: cruise packages and Gen Z (with synchronopticæ) plus international maritime signal flags

fifteen years ago: handmade heraldry 

low life (12. 819)

Via Strange Company, we appreciated the chance to revisit a divisive, geometrically confounding interior design trend of the tiered- or sunken living room. Invented by architect Bruce Goff and championed by the likes of Eero Saarinen and others, these intimate spaces enjoyed a cosmopolitan popularity from the late 1950s to late 1970s as sectional venues for social gatherings and while out of fashion and mostly the subflooring has been covered over with renovations, some choice conversation pits have been preserved. Pictured is another view from inside the 1958 Miller House of Columbus Indiana by Saarinen (see above) with designer Alexander Girard—now preserved as a historical site of the industrialist’s commission for a “very, very modern home.” More from Mental Floss at the link above.