the white witch of burley (13. 222)

Courtesy of Weird Universe, we are introduced to the enigmatic figure of Sybil Leek (*1917 - †1982) who made an enduring mark on the quaint New Forest village first with a robust chain of antique shops that dominated the local market, astrologer and then occult practitioner through her latter day cookbook and dietary guide according to one’s zodiacal sign—some people appreciate the nudge. Her eccentricities generated a lot of attention for the village from the 1940s to the early 1960s but not all the publicity was well-received as an early advocate for women’s rights, environmental stewardship and her generally stoic philosophy when it came to embracing what most liberated women (see below) were accused of being, with her landlord ultimately refusing to renew her leases, prompting Leek to emigrate to the United States and settling in Florida, where her penchant for the esoteric had more receptive audience, turning to prediction and her capacity for premonition and mediumship, authoring more books and appearing regularly on the psychic and parapsychology circuit—though astrological readings were still her mainstay. Trained in the dark arts, Leek did not believe in curses and only channeled the benevolent side of her power, she had a genius level IQ and argued that her spiritual practise was not a dramatic thing, as most perceived it—just quiet mediation instead of prayer. More at the link above.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit, the Covenant of the Goddess (with synchronopticæ), US Peace Corps founded (1961) plus pastel studies of the planets

twelve years ago: GCHQ’s operation Optic Nerve, Andy Warhol’s album cover art, storing energy in massive marbles plus Agnes of God

fourteen years ago: privacy and social media plus more dragnet surveillance and the US security jabberwocky

fifteen years ago: complimentary vexillology plus spaghetti rice

sixteen years ago: naming storms  

seventeen years ago: the month’s namesake 

operation epstein fury (13.221)

The UN calling for an emergency meeting of the security council over the joint Israeli-US strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks on US military bases in the Persian Gulf theatre, leaders worldwide calling for deescalation that may push the region the region into a humanitarian, economic and even a radiological crisis, and Trump, having grown bored with talks despite the advice of top brass, urged the people of Iran, in a pre-recorded message, to shelter in place until the government of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is decapitated and then rise up and take over the government—as their only chance in generations—and for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard to surrender or face certain death, instigated violent regime change along with his cohort on the Board of Peace. The timing of the strikes, amidst ongoing negotiations, though taking place on the sabbath, could be significant for the Netanyahu government, as just head of the holiday of Purim, commemorating the intervention of Queen Ester (see previously) who foiled the plans of the royal vizier to assassinate the Persian king (having been picked out of a lineup of the fairest in the land, without knowing her heritage, the king—possibly the historical Artaxerxes—having demoted the previous queen, Vashti, for her refusal to “display her beauty” to court during a drunken feast and embarrassing him) and his plans to put to death the entire minority populace within the empire. Interceding and protecting her king on behalf of her people, Esther could not nullify the previous decree as it was already issued but is allowed by the king to put out new orders, commanding that they might preemptively kill those aligned the scheming vizier, eliminating some seventy-five thousand potential attackers. The US special military operation is called Epic Fury with the Israeli side named Roaring Lion.

9x9 (13. 220)

a real chadwick: nineteenth century missionary and polyglot John Ross’ role in why Hangul uses spaces whereas other Asian scripts do not  

the count: an annual tally tradition from Diamond Geezer—see also  

τεσσαρακοντήρης: the ancient super-galley commissioned by Ptolemy IV Philopater, so named as it was rowed by forty 

lettres decoratives: open source letterform templates inspired by the artisanal signs of Paris  

calendar girl: RIP Neil Sedaka—more here  

abc schengen: a bundle of fonts inspired the typefaces of the transportation industry—see previously  

δώδεκαθεϊσμός: an introduction to the practitioners of the Hellenic religion who worship the twelve Olympian gods 

happy map: in an increasingly fraught world, a deep longitudinal survey of tiny and momentuous moments of joy  

data ≠ knowledge: poetic reflections on large language models by Rishi Dastidar—via Web Curios

preventative strikes (13. 219)

Amid ongoing talks, in which Trump expressed his displeasure with the situation, arguing that Tehran was not “negotiating in good faith” and a massive build up of US naval and air assets in the region, Israeli defence forces have launched attacks, targeting several ministries in the capital and in multiple cities. Provoked, we are sure how this will play out—with retaliation on Tel Aviv, giving the Americans the excuse to intervene militarily, an option that the administration refused to rule out. Thirty-three minutes later, Trump announces “major combat operations” in Iran, accusing them of trying to restart its nuclear programme.

synchronoptica

one year ago: a wall of sound audio sampler (with synchronopticæ) plus a diplomatic melt-down in the Oval Office

twelve years ago: Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet 

thirteen years ago: fractured futures plus the Day of Unplugging

fifteen years ago: the grammar of emoticons plus the economic states of Iceland and Ireland

…baby one more time (13. 218)

Beginning a two-week run at the top of UK charts, the lead single from eponymous debut album from sixteen-year old Britney Spears, child actor with the All-New Mickey Mouse Club sought by proxy to expand her repertoire, came about as the result of rejections by several labels, downplaying her demos with indictments that there was not going to be another Madonna, Debbie Gibson or Tiffany, and traveling to Sweden to work with songwriters and producers on a multi-record deal. The parenthetical “Hit me” was interpreted by many not only as canonically the title but also as a narrative of wanting back an abusive ex- or a reference to sadism but is attributed to the lyrics’s Swedish author tenuous command of English slang and was meant to convey “hit me up”—a strange formulation in itself like all the un-euphemistic metaphors to sports and violence. Initially shopped around to the Back Street Boys and TLC, it was eventually taken by Spears’ agent. Thematically similar with its three-note opening to Beethoven’s Fifth and Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” it is considered one of the most influential pop tracks in the history of the genre, propelled by the accompanying video directed by Nigel Dick (Oasis, Toto, Band Aid, Guns N’ Roses, Tears for Fears, Taylor Dane).

8x8 (13. 217)

guesse and the automaton: a long lost film by George Méliès (previously) featuring a magician battling a robot in slapstick fashion discovered in the stacks of the US Library of Congress  

pizzagate: Hilary Clinton deposed behind closed doors for seven hours of repetitive and off-topic questioning by House Oversight Committee  

spazieren in berlin: walking the streets of the metropolis with committed flânuer (see previously here and here) Franz Hessel in the 1920s 

lubbock lights: an unexplained sighting from 1951  

the cruelty is the point: the state of Kansas invalidates the drivers’ licenses of all transgender individuals—via Miss Cellania  

once posted: a growing curation of vintage post cards—via Web Curios  

let fly the claudes of war: a round up of AI ethics and pressure from the Pentagon  

mergers and acquisitions: Netflix drops its bid for Warner Bros Discovery with Paramount Sundance poised to take over the studio—see previously

ullukkut world (13. 216)

Referred to at the time Eskimaux, a delegation of the leadership of the fifteen thousand member strong community of Inuit peoples appealed to the ministry of Pierre Trudeau with a petition to designate a large portion of the North Western Territories as indigenous land, leading to the creation of what would eventually become the autonomous Canadian territory of Nunavut in 1999. The second largest subnational subdivision in North America after neighbouring Greenland and ahead of Alaska, the self-governing region covers most of the arctic archipelago with the people of Ellesmere Island (ᐅᒥᖕᒪᒃ ᓄᓇ, Umingmak Nuna, the land of the muskox) and faced with forced relocation during the Cold War due to the islands’ strategic position, the accord was seen as an act of contrition and reconciliation for the displaced and historically disenfranchised native population. The flag unveiled in 1999, close to the anniversary of the initial meeting twenty-three years later features an inuksuk, a stone cairn built as a landmark used by the Inuit and other peoples of the North American artic region and the colours represent the riches of the land, sea and sky.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting (with synchronopticæ) plus attempts to save the US civil service

fourteen years ago: assigning seat mates based on social media profiles 

fifteen years ago: a mystery dial plus the revolution in Libya

sixteen years ago: US congress renews the Patriot Act 

heebie jeebies (13. 215)

Recorded on this day in 1926 at the studios of Okeh Records in Chicago, the group having performed their rendition of the Boyd Atkins arrangement at the Vendome Theatre (see also), the song is credited with solidifying the career of Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five. The single is also credited with popularising scat singing—though there were precedents with ragtime entertainers Gene Greene and Al Jolson with a few choruses and bars from the latter in faux-Chinese (see also) drawing from traditions of lilting, yodelling and yoiking—with the possible apocryphal anecdote that when Armstrong was in the studio, his sheet music had fallen off the stand and had to improvise, filling the time with nonsense lyrics, surprised by the producers’ decision to keep it in. The record company subsequently capitalised on its popularity by advertising a choreographed dance to the song. The phrase comes from a 1923 newspaper comic strip by cartoonist Billy DeBeck, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, and refers to a feeling of apprehension and anxiety—popular slang in the 1920s also inspiring the name for the number ten duotrigintillon, “sweet mama,” “horsefeathers” and leaving a legacy through catch-phrases “time’s a-wasting” “great balls o’ fire.”