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.”

culcitology (13.214)

Vis-à-vis the prior post, we thoroughly enjoyed this deep-dive from host Alie Ward that serendipitously was next in my feed on the history and craft of quilting—the study from the Latin for pillows and bedding featuring an expert panel discussing all aspects of textile art from familial traditions and pedagogy, therapeutic aspects, documentation, memorial, encoded messages, politics to protest. The overview of the ethnography of the ungated art and transition from a commercial, male dominated activity to domestic labour and women’s work (see also) and the social movements that grew out of quilting-bees and sewing-circles is particularly fascinating. There’s even a bonus bespoke pattern and a tutorial at the website up top.

best in show (13. 213)

Via the always excellent Everlasting Blört, we learn of the Modern Quilt Guild (see also) of Los Angeles, founded in 2009 and inspired several other chapters internationally, through its annual QuiltCon held every February. Not only does MQC sponsor educational resources and workshops for individual and community projects, they also have a competition for the most inventive patterns in several categories, like the pictured over all winner by Carolyn McKibbin of New Jersey entitled “Mom Jeans”—we’d love to be able to repurpose old textiles like that—and patchwork honourable mention, “Building Barriers,” by Jennifer Candon of Harvard, Massachusetts. More at the links above.

je sème à tout vent (13. 212)

We enjoyed perusing this abecedary of desk pads (blotters) promoting the Petit Larousse junior encyclopaedic dictionaries, above motto, “I sow to all the winds,” usually depicted on the cover by a figure blowing dandelion seeds, la dent-de-lion. It’s a bit of a brain teaser to figure out what the words are being depicted in French—like D for douche, dolmen, dinde. Scroll through the whole alphabet and see what for us non-francophiles needs some puzzling out.

synchronoptica

one year ago: microbar banners (with synchronopticæ) plus Napoleon returns from exile (1815)

twelve years ago: a direct connection between Europe and Brazil to bypass US undersea cables 

fourteen years ago: the myth of the eight hour sleep 

fifteen years ago: Germany surpasses France as a European travel destination 

wm-9 (13. 211)

Via the always excellent Present /&/ Correct (check out their sundries), we enjoyed perusing this comprehensive archive that has catalogued over a thousand portable audio players—the Walkman introduced by Sony first in 1979 and manufactured through 2010 (see previously here, here, here and here) and courting many imitators and innovations over the years as a genericised trademark with many other competiting brands. We had find trying to hunt down a specific model we had and discovering along the way others, each entry having detailed specifications, notes on features, manuals, family-trees accessories and advertising.

bye-bye, honey, bye-bye (13. 210)

Performed by the Brotherhood of Man, the pop-schlager tune was selected as the UK’s entry on this day in 1976 to represent Britain at Eurovision Grand Prix held later in the spring in the Hague, winning the song contest, the single going on to become a best-seller. Describing the conflicted emotions of someone leaving for the day for work, the song ends with the twist that the singer was saying good bye to their infant daughter.