eye opener (12. 259)

Via Clive Thompson’s always excellent Linkfest (lots to explore there), we are directed to a revealing tool created by the photo app-maker Ente that discloses what the Google Vision API (Application Programming Interface) sees when it sees your photos. Intrigued by the idea of seeing myself how the algorithms see me and not having a standard headshot handy, I snapped a quick selfie and uploaded it—not the best picture and obviously it got a few things right but didn’t think I necessarily presented as fatigued or wary—or particularly agnostic (I like to think of myself as a vaguely Jesus-y bon vivant, thank you), and not only did it zero in on my location, it also annoyingly focused on the pile of laundry in the background and decor and makes up a little narrative of insights for targeted advertisements, which are way-off base. I understand that’s how the commercial ecosystem works and people are algorithmically pigeon-holed and typecast all the time—sometimes with consequence, but seeing it in action, all the good and bad bits to be gleaned even from information and artefacts that are not public-facing, is a bit of off-putting fun.

synchronoptica

one year ago: Austria’s national anthem (with synchronoptica), assorted links worth revisiting plus Hitler’s first official postion

seven years ago: a Trump-branded property in Panama, street debater kits plus animator Len Lye

eight years ago: signals to the stars, a cruel captivity called off, our privileged view of the Cosmos, a flatpack pavilion for urban gardening plus a fast food franchise with a view of a Roman road

nine years ago: where are my flying cars, attentive listeners plus a Beaux Arts apartment in Manhattan

ten years ago: a tarot deck inspired by the art of Edward Gorey

marbury v madison (12. 258)

In the aftermath of the fiercely contested US presidential election of 1800 (see previously), a three-way race among incumbent John Adams, Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson, with Jefferson ultimately winning with the electoral college by a very narrow margin. Once realising that they were unseated Adams and the Federalist party attempted to fill as many judicial vacancies as possible with loyalists and avowed “anti-Jeffersonians”—mostly circuit judges, during the last days in office. One of these appointees was a wealthy businessman and lawyer from Maryland, the plaintiff, William Marbury—nominees approved by the senate en masse. The new judges received their commissions and sworn in, however, for a few, it was not accomplished before inauguration day—including for Marbury—Jefferson instructing his secretary of state, James Madison, to withhold those commissions not yet delivered and declare them void. The ensuing lawsuit, elevated to the supreme court, was decided on this day in 1803, ruling that Marbury was legally entitled to his commission and withholding it was a violation of his rights—issuing a writ of mandamus and ordering the matter be remediated, but more over established the principle of judicial review, meaning that the courts have the power to strike down statues and legislation that run counter to the constitution, understood as the national codex and not just a statement of political ideas and aspirations and gives the judicial branch the responsibility to review the acts of the legislative and executive.

9x9 (12. 257)

johnny 5: artificial intelligence and inkblot tests—see previously  

hop-on, hop-off: a new train route through Central Europe allows passengers to visit cities at their own pace  

boone and wesson: the disturbing trend of aggressive baby names in the US—see also, see previously—via Miss Cellania

sixth-tenths of a letter: the depth of natural history visualised as pages in a book  

ok boomer: Chinese netizens’ approach to uncomfortable questions is reply at random (一都乱会, everything is chaotic, xīqiè dōu shì hǔnluàn de) and defuse intergenerational conflict 

bluelights in the basement: RIP Roberta Flack  

protect & survive: Shades another post-apocalyptic UK mini-series in the vein of Threads and The Day After Tomorrow

express limited: a collection of Showa-era Japanese gate entry tickets, a unique surcharge of the train system 

integrated information theory: Richard Dawkins (previously) chats with AI, asks it is it conscious

домовився про мир (12. 256)

On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy has again rebuffed increasing overtures from Trump over a half-trillion dollar deal for mineral rights—first framed as protection money now demanded as pay back for monetary and materiel assistance provided by the preceding US administration that was never characterised other than a grant and not a loan to be repaid, which is far higher than what the US gave. At the same time Zelensky says, after being accused of being a dictator and forestalling elections by imposing martial law, he is willing to step down from the presidency for the sake of peace and/or NATO membership. The press conference was held hours after Russia launched, on the eve of the start of the war, the largest aerial barrage of drones and missiles yet on Kyiv and other major cities. Shuttle diplomacy continues with the UK and France travelling to Washington to secure Europe a seat at the table for any negotiations.  Ever with an eye towards the transactional, US envoys are hoping to have sanctions lifted and for American businesses able to resume operations in Russia.

 synchronoptica

one year ago: JAL’s travel pamphlets (with synchronoptica), cognitive offloading, spying vending machines plus placenames on Christmas Island

seven years ago: the side-by-side, flags per data plus the repeal of net neutrality

eight years ago: attacks on state marijuana laws, David Lynch’s doddles, mood-elevators, workforce disruptors plus assorted links to revisit

nine years ago: a wine bottle fire extinguisher, rotten boroughs plus the plant-fungal information super highway

ten years ago: David Bowie as the Elephant Man, more links to enjoy plus crusaders reach the Holy Land

bundestagswahl (12. 255)

With the highest voter turn-out since the reunification in 1990, exit polling suggest that the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led by Friedrich Merz. In light of recent events, the prospective chancellor is vowing “independence” from the US and hopes to build a coalition government quickly. Invigorated by violent crime, immigration and lingering inflation, AfD doubled its results vis-a-vis the last federal election, but all parties have pledged to maintain a firewall to cordon off the far-right, populist opposition. Final distribution of the parliamentary seats are still pending, but the most likely scenario is a partnership with the SPD (Social Democratic Party) or a three-way governance with the Greens. The administration of Olaf Scholz underwent an acrimonious collapse over differences in spending priorities hours after the reelection of Donald Trump.

a pair ⁊ ſequence (12. 254)

Via Language Hat, we are directed to multilingual list of the historic catalogue of card and dice games that Rabelais includes in the twenty-second chapter of his 1534 Gargantua (see previously, see also)—possibly some of the over two hundred mentioned invented by the author or lost to time and no one knows how to play any longer. Some old favourites, likely best forgot are a la boutte foyꝛe—shitty yew twigs, a la boutte foyꝛe—flay the fox, a pet en gueulle—top and tail or fart-in-the-throat and a pillemouſtard—pestle the mustard, which all sound likely as inventions of Pantagruel and the other horrid, grotesque cast of characters. See the link above for more actual games with instructions for play.

synchronoptica

one year ago: 1984’s inaugural TED (with synchronoptica), Chinese name connotations on US ballots, best acting over a landline and other Oscar categories that should exist plus assorted links to revisit

seven years ago: a seventeenth century treatise on sign language plus a German language version of America’s national anthem

eight years ago: the Washington Post adopts a new motto, Colin’s barn plus more links to enjoy

nine years ago: a strange sound during Apollo X, a fifth suite for playing cards plus a 3D printer for the International Space Station

ten years ago: more on Pope Urban II’s crusade plus the origins of hold muzak

star turn (12. 253)

Via the always engrossing Things Magazine, we are directed towards the vexing but useful author and astrologer of German extraction employed by MI5’s Special Operations Executive—an agency established by Churchill best known for sabotage and helping the resistance in occupied territories—Louis De Wohl (having changed it from Ludwig von Wohl when he fled Berlin) for psyops purposes during the darkest days of World War II. Despite his reputation as a vain and flamboyant “bumptious seeker after notoriety,” as one of his handlers described him and a real risk to compromising the security service’s mission through his indiscretion and high opinion of himself, officials were persuaded that his horoscopes might be an effective way to influence Hitler and his advisors. Dispatching De Wohl on a US lecture tour in 1941—already a figure of certain renown as a dozen of his early books were adapted as films from the late 1920s to the mid 1930s (mostly crime and romance novels, after his spy career, De Wohl continued writing but mostly hagiographies, following his conversion to Catholicism), Britain wagered that American audiences might be more receptive to and sympathetic for these fringe believes and might bolster public endorsement for joining the war effort. While there was certainly occult elements of the Nazi regime, Hitler’s confidence in and reliance for signs in the stars and cadre of astrologers was an elaborate fabrication, supported by the press to make De Wohl’s predictions seem accurate with supernatural corroboration on the part of the media, even reviving a German defunct horoscope newsletter (edited by De Wohl) and surreptitiously distributed in the country. Not foreseen though the propaganda campaign seemed to be paying off with American attitudes more accepting of such beliefs (see also here and here), the attack on Pearl Harbor rendered the efforts redundant, and recognising the potency of his charisma and power to influence the superstitious, De Wohl was quietly retired to write his stories about the lives of the saints, the extent of the operation not revealed until 2008 in a document release from the National Archives.

bullet points (12. 252)

As an encore to the stochastic terrorism being unleashed on the US federal workforce following thousands of probationary period employees being illegally fired and a milquetoast reception to the original threat of deferred resignation, DOGE (at the urging of Trump to ramp things up) has issued another mass-email on Saturday to some two million civil service employees requesting a list of five things that they accomplished this past week. Responses are due Monday at midnight with one’s supervisor courtesy-copied. Aside being unlawful, desperate and a sign of overplaying one’s hand, it’s agonising in regards of crafting an acceptable list and I am sure that far more time will be spend in commiseration and consultation on how to justify one’s work as an organisation, further taking away from productivity in the name of greater efficiency after a week of increased workload due to chronic understaffing, bidding a tearful farewell to those being purged, the chaos of the hiring freeze, manoeuvring the return-to-office mandate with inadequate desk space and general doom-scrolling about what comes next. If we are made to submit the bullet points, I am sure the follow-up abusive email will be a loyalty test, if the termination notices don’t come first. Not sure if mass non-compliance or malicious compliance is best but I can think of some recommended answers: “Supported and defended the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” or in the vein of wrong answers only “Did a DEI,” “spent forty-hours correcting maps and globes with a sharpie to read ‘Gulf of America,’” “Did a tonne of ketamine,” “Played golf and danced on stage with a chainsaw.”