who, where, what (12. 068)

Via Nag on the Lake’s always outstanding Sunday Links, we are directed to the annual challenge in the King William’s College Winter Break quiz (see previously)—which never fails to baffle and probably never, honestly at least broke a cross of two. Our almanac activities are seeming to pay off at least a little bit in helping know a few answers from a century ago including: In the renaming of which city was a leading apostle replaced in honour of a revolutionary leader?  The publication of which forged document may have influenced a Conservative landslide?  The one-page assignment issued since 1904 is no longer formally graded as homework but rather as an opportunity or pupils and their families to think about research strategies over the holidays.

ampel aus (12. 067)

The Committee for the German Language (Gesellschaft füe deutsche Sprache—see below) has announced its Wort des Jahres for 2024 as a nod to the collapse of the Red, Yellow, Green party coalition in the government and the call for snap-elections, but there were several other words being monitored as contenders, including Klimaschönfäberei—essentially the German rendering of “green-washing,” kriegstüchtig, war-like, Rechtsdrift, a shift to more conservative and populist politics, die Selbstbestimmung in Bezug auf den Geschlechtseintrag (abbreviated SBGG), a update to the outdated 1980 law on transgender identity enacted in November that allows non-binary individuals to register under a new first name and sex without the bureaucratic onus and Messerverbot, in reference to a few incidents of knife-attacks at public events earlier in the year and the response of authorities.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit (with synchronoptica), the spelling of Christmas and Hanukkah plus Germany’s Word of the Year

seven years ago: the fraught and racist history of square-dancing, net-neutrality under threat plus a catalogue of spomenik of the former Yugoslavia

nine years ago: a real world copy of the Simpsons’ home

ten years ago: the historical Snow White plus the History of the World in 100 Objects 

eleven years ago: decorating for Christmas, spies in the skies plus the languages of Switzerland

 

the ghost of christmas yet to come (12. 066)

The final resting place too far weathered by the centuries in the churchyard of St Chad’s in Shrewsbury (named for a seventh century Mercian monk and bishop—Charles Darwin was baptised there) was repurposed as the burial plot for the fictional Ebenezer Scrooge for a 1984 adaptation starring George C Scott and subsequent ones of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol—previously. The third spirit showed Scrooge his fate should he keep to his miserly ways. After discovering the vandals had overturned and smashed the headstone in late November, local stonemasons promptly repaired it free of charge, restoring the beloved attraction and quelling some of the outrage over the act.

footnote (12. 065)

Once the preserve of daisy-chains of ideas that built off another, the ability of AI to abstract and summarise the answer to a query in the search engine itself (see also), the loss of linkages threatens to flatten out the architecture of learning and the serendipity when one diverges from the affiliated index and embraces the flowchart, algorithmic (albeit cosmetic and reliant for now on those vast, networked underpinnings until, unless it becomes recursive regurgitation). Collin Jennings invites us to consider Alexander Pope’s mock-epic The Dunciad, considered a broadside of word in print by Marshall McLuhan, which lampoons the agents of the goddess of dullness who champion tastelessness and imbecility through publishing and the press presented over four editions as hypertextual with its appendices and commentary that far exceed the lines of verse in subsequent issues. AI doesn’t google like people google, to investigate, check spelling, check or outsource memories, and I certain am not looking for a tee-shirt version of my last search. The linear nature of the printed page and packaged answers—which great writers have always striven to transcend—was a limitation of the medium and its successors did rise above in the internet, collaborative and full of serendipitous deviations but artificial intelligence becomes an inscrutable blackbox not so much in its magic predictions but moreover when one is shielded from the tapestry of associations that inform its results.

A Lumberhouse of books in ev’ry head,
For ever reading, never to be read.
Next o’er his books his eyes began to roll
In pleasing memory of all he stole.

More from Aeon at the link above.

veni redemptor gentium (12. 064)

Fêted on this day on the anniversary of his consecration as the bishop of Milan in 374 AD, the statesman and theologian Saint Ambrose was a strong and influential proponent of heterodoxy in the Latin rite and was also celebrated for a cycle of Advents hymns and antiphonal chants that inform later traditions of carolling. Along with Augustine of Hippo (whom Ambrose converted), Jerome and Pope Gregory the Great, he is considered in western traditions a Doctor of the Church. Born in Augusta Treverorum around 339, it is said a swarm of bees descended on the infant whilst in his crib, leaving the baby unharmed and anointed with droplets of honey—taken as an auspicious sign and his patronage of apiculturists and by extension candle-makers. Moving to Rome from the provinces, Ambrose would study law and rhetoric and enter public service, like his father, becoming governor of Liguria and Emilia with the captial in Milan. Intervening in a succession crisis for the city’s bishop seat, not standing for the office, the politician accepted the vacancy compelled by popular acclaim of the assembled council, the Church afforded a measure of autonomy by Ambrose’s imperial connections, which tended towards deferment to his decisions and a level of independence. Charitable and advocating a kind of liturgical flexibility and rejecting rigid customs—including tolerance for pagans and other non-Christians, his advice to Augustine about respecting local ways stays with us, distilled as, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

directors’ cut (12. 063)

What an absolute gift to be able to watch an individual being paid tribute while they can still be part of it. Via Nag on the Lake, we are directed to this brilliant music video from Spike Jonze and Mary Wigmore from Coldplay’s new album, Moon Music, for the track “All My Love,” which together with the band they turned into a moving early birthday celebration for Dick Van Dyke (*1925) who sang and danced and was joined by his extended family. Chris Martin on piano delights at the end with an impromptu song about growing old for Van Dyke.

ev1 (12. 062)

With just over a thousand models produced over the span of three years until the pilot project was shuttered in 1999, General Motors’ subcompact car (available for leasing only) was the first mass-produced battery electric vehicle for the US market, introduced in response to a mandate by the California Air Resources Board stipulating that automakers must offer zero-emissions alternatives to keep access to the state’s market. The innovative plug-in pioneered many of the technologies found in electric cars today a quarter of a century ago, but despite being (mostly, its limited charge gave rise to the phenomenon that still haunts the industry of range anxiety) well received by drivers and critics, GM halted production—after California eased its standards due to industry pushback, and citing safety concerns over the lack of availability of replacement parts for the EV1’s specialised components, decided to scrap the entire fleet. Due to restrictions on outright ownership, only a very few examples remain but the small car that could make short trips has an outsized legacy. More from NPR at the link above.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting (with synchronoptica) 

seven years ago: the Japanese wrapping art of furoshki

nine years ago: more links to enjoy

ten years ago: internet browsers as fashion models plus a list of French phrases that ought to be reintroduced to common-parlance

twelve years ago: a double-standard for secessionist movements plus decorating the office for Christmas

white elephant (12. 061)

Via tmn, we are directed to a regular emporium of choice gift selections perfect for the holiday office party Secret Santa exchange—or that variation that one organisation that I used to work for played where you could trade up or steal the mostly gag and ge-gifted presents from others or open a new one and put it into play. Although animosity towards co-workers, particularly the merely tedious ones, tended to dull with such gatherings and probably would have regretted pointedly picking something from this guide for a sworn nemesis, but this catalogue is just too good, especially for those who have a poisonous reputation to uphold and equally has application outside of the obligatory office ritual: like the orphaned volume II of the cinematic adaptation of Atlas Shrugged—particularly if one is playing the trading version and someone is vying for it, apparel from a retailer’s Pride Collection (vintage 2022) before said chain-store began to concede to homophobic pressure or a scented candle inspired by the Warhammer 40k gaming franchise. What others would you add to this list? Themed calendars seem like a good candidate.  Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.