there’s rocks and there’s boulders—children take cover (13. 063)

Apologies for propagating this somewhat irreverent earworm—but blame Miss Cellania for referring us to this lyrical seismic realignment of the classic Fleetwood Mac ballad, composed in 1975 but not released until 1997 as a single after the group reunited) to make it literally about natural disasters by Dustin Ballard (aka There I Ruined It, see previously) and friends. The band’s beautiful repertoire in my head isn’t so sacrosanct not to be above parody and often mentally set random phrases that scan alike to Edge of Seventeen, etc. I’m taking cover too.

9x9 (13. 061)

flu season: experimentation with gene-editing tools suggest CRISPR may be able to stop the virus from replicating—see also

i want my mtv: a service that rebroadcasts the cable channel from its first day until they stopped playing music, including vintage commercials—via MetaFilter 

l’etat, c’est moi: Trump makes the case for his own impeachment with his Mar-a-Lago press conference on Venezuela  

fire with fire: stopping a rogue AI with an instinct for self-preservation may call for turning off the internet—or more drastic measures 

a day of love: a plaque commemorating Washington, DC police for their actions during the Capitol insurrection has gone missing on this fifth anniversary—see below, see also  

monkeybranching: Gen Z dating and relationship terminology  

donroe doctrine: Denmark demands Trump quit his designs on seizing Greenland, risks the end of NATO  

gomrath: a forgotten psychedelic masterpiece rediscovered fifty years on  

home-brew: researchers develop a vaccine deliverable by beer

synchronoptica

one year ago: European Cultural Capitals (with synchronopticæ), certifying the vote of the electoral college plus the coat of arms of Denmark changed to signal Greenland is not for sale

twelve years ago: repeating history’s mistakes

thirteen years ago: cocoa and Christmas chocolates plus the threshold of discoverability for actors

fourteen years ago: debates over fluoridated water plus American empire

sixteen years ago: boxing up the Christmas stuff 

seventeen years ago: a faded superpower 

the world of 2026 a.d. (13. 048)

Though the time setting for the novel and later screen-play for the film by Thea von Harbou is up for interpretation, having both gone through several rewrites and serialisation prior to and after its debut in 1927, subject to reconstructions during restoration—the original title cards, incorporated in the 2010 remastering does not specify a year and contemporary audiences placed it around the turn of the millennium, both 2000 and 3000—at minimum the Giorgio Moroder produced truncated version from 1984, the silent film rescored featuring a pop-soundtrack with Bonnie Tyler, Adam Ant, Pat Benatar, Freddie Mercury (see also) and Loverboy, does specifically set Fritz Lang’s Metropolis in this year with an intertitle, subtitles used for the dialogue.

l’amour des trois oranges (13. 041)

Premiering on this day in 1921 Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, Sergei Prokofiev’s satirical French-language opera (Любовь к трём апельсинам, The Love for Three Oranges, based on an seventeenth century Italian fairy tale of the same name) resulted from a commission after his first series of performances in the United States were well received by audiences. Reception to his avant-garde works (see previously here, here and here)by Americans may strike as a bit unlikely and whilst initial criticism was harsh, crowds flocked to see a commedia dell’arte piece (a parody of the genre) instilled with surrealism in a foreign language and has seen multiple revivals over the decades. The most familiar leitmotiv from the opera is the below march movement, referenced in popular culture, including the contemporary novel by F Scott Fitzgerald, Tender in the Night, with the protagonist awakening from a dream sequence of a military parade set to the music.

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synchronoptica

one year ago: calendrical correspondence (with sychronopticæ), 2024 in review, Bloomberg’s Jealousy List plus The Pirate of Penzance Broadway premiere

twelve years ago: predictions v projections plus proto-memes

fifteen years ago: treacherous driving conditions plus more security theatre

9x9 (13. 027)

pot to kettle: US bans Europeans who encouraged social media to suppress American points of view—see also, whilst the Heritage Foundation openly calls for the dissolution of the European Union  

sight unseen: a collection of the best video essays of 2025  

winter tarotscope: a collective reading for the coming season from AX Mina  

first and main: store front churches as captured by Rob Stephenson—via Messy Nessy Chic with a lot more to explore including more on glass models of deep sea creatures  

x-mas post: holiday greeting cards to Paul Rand (previously) from other designers, artists and architects  

commodorchestra: Linus Åkesson (previously) performs an ambitious chip-tune arrangement of Boléro (see also) on an assortment of homemade eight-bit instruments 

exhibit a: a simple copy-and-paste undoes redactions to some of the Epstein files  

the address is cbs: the censored reporting on the infamous CECOT prison removed from 60 Minutes was bootlegged by international broadcasts—via Super Punch

synchronoptica

one year ago: the first wholly electronic television transmission (with synchronopticæ), the Bohemian John Phillips Souza plus a Christmas pause 

fourteen years ago: a Star Wars Nativity scene 

fifteen years ago: Christmas Eve greetings 

sixteen years ago: zodiacal mugs 

seventeen years ago: miscellany from Wikipedia 

troppo paradiso nelle loro menti (13. 026)

Via Laughing Squid, we are introduced to the musical stylings of the talented Italian guitar quartet 40 Fingers with this moody, acoustic rendition of the overture from Jesus Christ Superstar, the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice rock opera—with an absolutely brilliant arrangement (see previously—Silent Night was originally a guitar piece as well). The band’s biggest viral moment yet was a cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and have taken a particular interest in film scores.

public domain review (13. 021)

In anticipation of Public Domain Day 2026 (previously), here is a preview of the selection of literary and artistic works from 1930 and musical compositions from 1925 (under US jurisdiction, songs have a full century until IP lapses under current law) whose copyrights expire and are released to whomever and for whatever purpose. Artists’ works include Piet Mondrian’s Composition II, the pictured untitled work by Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Abel Lafleur’s Jules Rimet Cup—the original trophy of FIFA, along with countless works in the Art Deco movement registered in that year. Among dozens of cinematic works, All Quiet on the Western Front, the Three Stooges’ Soup to Nuts, The Marx Brothers’ Animal Crackers and Savadore Dalí’s and Luis Buñuel’s L'Âge d’or are counted in, as well as audio recordings by the Gershwin brothers like “I Got Rhythm” and “Embraceable You,” “Georgia on My Mind” by Hoagy Carmichael, “Dream a Little Dream of Me,”Leo Robin’s “Beyond the Blue Horizon,” the inspiration for the Star Trek theme (see also) and “Sweet Georgia Brown.” Comics and cartoons include Betty Boop, Disney’s first appearance of Pluto (as Rover) and Flip the Frog and other characters created by Ib Iwerks after he left the studio. More from Duke Law School at the link up top.

all the kids in the marketplace say (13. 017)

The third single from the band’s second studio album, A Different Light, released earlier in the year in September climbed to the top of the US charts on this day in 1986, holding the number one slot for four weeks and marked the Bangles’ first hit, and ranked Billboard’s best song of 1987. Songwriter Liam Sternberg (also a producer and performer who worked with Devo, the Waitresses, Kirsty MacColl and many others) was inspired for the title—and his biggest credit to date—whilst on a ferry-crossing of the Channel in rough waters and witnessed fellow passengers stepping carefully with arms outstretched to keep their balance, reminding him of Ancient Egyptian friezes and reliefs, composing the track around that image. The below video also received accolades from MTV.

talk to me (13. 009)

DJ Earworm (previously), aka Jordan Roseman of San Francisco, presents his annual United State of Pop in a quite longstanding and well established, since 2007, tradition of mashing-up the most vaunted albums of the year. And whilst admitting I must have aged out of the top-twenty for some time now—and recognised zero percent of these songs but a few of the artists, I appreciate the artistry of the precise mixing and sampling of contemporary culture as a hook to make me want to find out more.

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synchronoptica

one year ago: Chinese names and the challenges of Romanisation (with synchronopticæ), a survey of superyachts plus euro coins starter packets

twelve years ago: the evolution of Santa Claus plus holiday long-distance commercials

thirteen years ago: the coat of arms for Frankfurt am Main 

sixteen years ago: ring-fatigue 

toscanini, dacron (13. 007)

Eventually garnering a Grammy award for Record of the Year, Billy Joel’s eleventh studio album reached the top of the charts in domestic markets on this day in 1989 (cover art featuring a billowing storm warning maritime flag flown to signal the highest intensity gales on the Beaufort wind scale). Featuring tracks including “I Go to Extremes,” “Leningrad” (Joel’s take on the dissolution of the Soviet Union and “That’s Not Her Style,” it was the single “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (previously) that stood out as most memorable. Having just turned forty, Joel was inspired by a chance encounter with a friend of Sean Lennon at a recording studio half his age, reflecting that it was a terrible time to be twenty-one, with a litany of contemporary dilemmas. Joel encountered he had his own at that age, which his interlocutor dismissed, saying he had grown up in the 1950s, a rather halcyon pause in their mind at least when nothing happened. Joel came back with a few headlines of the time and conceived a catalogue of all the impactful, formative events, cultural and political, that had occurred between the year of his birth, 1949, to the present—in mostly chronological order (see above). One hundred-eighteen people, artefacts and circumstances are listed in the song, which upon re-evaluation are panned lyrically, almost to the point of disavowal, with absolute refusal for extra verses by the artist. Only four named individuals are still alive—Brigitte Bardot, Bob Dylan, Bernie Goetz and Chubby Checker.

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synchronoptica

one year ago: The Towering Inferno (with synchronopticæ), assorted links worth the revisit plus a museum dedicated to depictions of The Last Supper

twelve years ago: seigniorage and inflation  

thirteen years ago: trim up the tree with Christmas stuff, US school shootings, lucid dreaming plus O Antiphons

fifteen years ago: the legacy of Cablegate 

grand prix (12. 992)

Joining Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland, Iceland’s national broadcaster, RÚV, has voted to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest scheduled to be held in Vienna over the decision of the organising committee, the European Broadcasting Union, not to expel Israel for its conduct of the war against Hamas and occupation of Gaza. The announcement coinciding with International Human Rights Day, Iceland cites that “give public debate in the country…it is clear that neither joy nor peace will prevail” regarding participation. Members of the EBU voted in a general assembly last week to adopt stricter rules regarding alleged ballot manipulation favouring Israeli contestants during the last Eurovision but fell short of banning them, with the mounting walk-outs casting a pall over what’s supposed to be a feel-good cultural exchange (though it has never been wholly apolitical) with diminishing acts and those remaining seeming like a whitewashing of recent events.

pigs on the wing (12. 977)

On this day in 1976, as our faithful chronicler reminds, during a photoshoot for the cover art for their tenth studio album, a concept one called Animals (with deference to George Orwell), Algie the pig balloon, moored the previous day near Battersea Power Station, the iconic facility to be condemned imminently having reached the end of its useful life, broke free during wind gusts. Pink Floyd had commissioned the former Zeppelin manufacturer Ballon Fabrik to make the twelve metre pig balloon—to be inflated with helium—with an expert marksman on site to shoot it down in case it drifted out of control. The designated sniper was not present for this daring escape and the dirigible floated over Heathrow, forcing the airspace to close. The pig was recovered at a farm in Kent three days later as filming continued, but it was decided that the preliminary shots of the power station had turned out better and to superimpose Algie flying between the chimney stacks. The stunt has been successfully staged several times afterwards, including for the 2012 London summer Olympics.

10x10 (12. 973)

no time for dancing or lovey-dovey: David Byrne’s ensemble Tiny Desk concert—see previously  

bathing beauties: the nautical folk art of Kyler Martz—via Messy Nessy Chic  

ac/dc: the unlikely friendship of Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla 

warrior ethos: the Canadian publisher of the beloved children’s book series Franklin the Turtle strongly objects to US Secretary of War’s depiction of him firing on boats of supposed narco-terrorists 

the downfall of joann: the US craft and hobby economy ruined by private equity—via MetaFilter—see previously  

steerage: turned upside down, this grainy photograph of a third-class cabin appears to expand into a grand stateroom  

not even a squib of an entry: a steeple chase of an etymological mystery that may have arisen out of a case of mis-division—see also 

exalting the beauty of an overcast sky: Luke Howard (previously) on cloud-modification and his correspondence with Goethe  

nuns on the run: a rebel sisterhood who escaped from a nursing home to return to their abandoned convent refuse to give up their social media accounts as it would deprive them from the protection of an interested public 

chanson pour tout le monde: “Song for the Children” was by Jimmy Buffet, released on his 1979 album Volcano

merrie old christmas (12. 969)

As our faithful chronicler reminds on this day in 1977, the last Christmas special of Bing Crosby aired on CBS on this day in 1977, the most memorable segment recorded 11 September of that year in Elstree Studios outside of London as part of his promotion campaign for his album Heroes, having arranged to sing a duet with Crosby. Bowie arrived with his then wife Mary Angela Barnett (who contributed to the definition of glam rock costuming his Ziggy Stardust persona) both appearing in matching outfits—the recording almost did not take place until Bowie agreed to doff the shocking red wig, earring and makeup. Afterwards Bowie balked at the idea of performing the traditional carol, with producer Marc Bolan coming up with an improvised counterpoint to Crosby’s “Little Drummer Boy” within an hour. The two ad-libbed a shorty dialogue before the song. Both Crosby and Bolan died a month later, of a car-crash and heart attack respectively. Never expecting to revisit this surreal collaboration (see also) again, the performance was not remastered for release as a single and not available until November of 1982, which despite all reservations garnered Bowie his most successful and an enduring holiday classic. Me and my drum.

push pineapple, grind coffee (12. 952)

Although in retrospective named among the most annoying songs of all time and on this day in 2003, according to a poll of music writers in Q magazine, judged the worst ever, comparing it to a cruise conga line, the 1984 novelty single by the travelling DJ duo managed to become the eighth best-selling for that year in the UK and charted in the top seventy-five hits for weeks. Based on the Club Med French version—“Agadou,” based on a Moroccan melody, this cover with dance became the better known one and was in turn covered with several international language versions, Greek, Thai, Finnish and Czech to name a few as well as commercial jingle homages and in children’s programmes.

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synchronoptica

one year ago: tonic rotation (with synchronopticæ)

twelve years ago: blind-spot safety plus convenience foods

thirteen years ago: The Complete Banker, art deco fonts plus ninja as a profession made redundant

fifteen years ago: embroidered memes 

seventeen years ago: decking the halls 

most other two-digit numbers had no meaningful trend over that period (12. 891)

For its WotY, Dictionies.com has selected “6-7” from its list of contenders for terms capturing the Zeitgeist of language and culture over the past twelve months, not just about confusion, neologism or popularity but moreover as a socio-linguistic mirror to visage. In the shortlist of other reference authorities, the meme, phrase and accompanying hand gestures from a nonsense lyric in a song by Philadelphia rapper Skrilla, titled “Doot Doot (Six-Seven).” And while grammarians have tried to apply several interpretations as to its meaning and etymology—from a reference to a street in the artist’s hometown or police code, which despite being incorrect have increased its rather enduring lore as opposed to recent marketing campaigns by fast food franchises and rumours that the next AI model will be called GPT-6-7 (surely a sign the trend is about to plummet)—it is genuinely a meaningless phrase though positive among cohorts who can share it together. The Wikipedia entry for the much older, fourteenth century English idiom to describe a situation in disarray—“at sixes and sevens”—from the proto-version of gambling dice game craps called hazard has not been updated to reflect this new phenomenon.

synchronoptica

one year ago: the events that inspired The Wicker Man (with synchronopticæ), an ancient amulet discovered, a thousand days of the war on Ukraine, shifting through default video titles plus Mister Plow (1992)

twelve years ago: digital footprints 

thirteen years ago: market bubbles 

fourteen years ago: in for a penny, in for a pound 

fifteen years ago: free-range exoplanets 

sixteen years ago: preppers and doubters 

10x10 (12. 889)

trip hop: frustrated with his limited role in Massive Attack, Tricky embarked on his independent project Maxinquaye  

chud atlantis: more regional car-dealership rococo from McMansion Hell  

linguistic zombie hunting: a revival of the old prescriptivist superstition against ending a sentence with a preposition and the grammarians that support it 

state capture: the revolving door between government and industry creating the post-democratic world order—via Quantum of Sollazzo 

♾️ series: visual proofs that 1/4 + 1/16 + 1/64 + 1/256… yields ⅓  

circlesquare: filmmaker Jaron Albertin’s rather disturbing music video for “Seven Minutes” 

artful dodger: Victorian mugshots of juvenile offenders—via Nag on the Lake  

stay puft: some facts all about marshmallows sealab: project Tektite and experimenting with submerged human habitats  

giscardpunk: Fifth Republic techno-futurism reimagined—see previously 

synchronoptica

one year ago: farming by lottery (with synchronopticæ) plus assorted links to revisit

twelve years ago: coded correspondence

thirteen years ago: Thanksgiving salutations  

fourteen years ago: Bretton Woods and monetary unions 

fifteen years ago: privacy and Google Maps plus trade unions and Ricardian economics

book and backmasking (12 .882)

Calling to mind this wonderfully laugh out loud and still arguably the only legitimate use of LinkedIn that matches the names of CV-holders to pop songs, Futility Closet directs us to an earlier effort scouring the telephone directory of Toronto’s 1977 white-pages choosing entries to approximate the lyrics to nursery rhymes (as published later in anthology of recreational linguistics and onomastics). One example cobbling together of the Roud Folk Song #19626 of disputed historical meaning:

Merrie Merry Quaint Caunt Ririe
Howe Dussiaulme Garden Groh
Witt Silver Belson Cockell Schells
And Pretty Mayes Allin Arro

Whist predating Mary Tudor and Mary Queen of Scots, despite popular associations, scholars believe the English traditional poem is an allegory for Catholicism with pretty maids representing nuns, the sanctus bells and the cockleshells as the pilgrimage badges of the Way of St James. Click through at the link above for more examples plus a 1963 television show that assembled a live studio audience to the tune “Inda Good Old Somerstein.”

synchronoptica

one year ago: the first human-non-human organ transplant (with synchronopticæ) plus polls open for the OED Word of the Year

thirteen years ago: alternate search engines, International Day of Philosophy plus more flea market finds

fourteen years ago: the myth of unlimited growth 

sixteen years ago: a visit to Coburg 

new fav (12. 880)

Courtesy of MetaFilter, we are introduced to the musical stylings of one Ecca Vandal, singer-songwriter hailing from Melbourne of South African snd Tamil extraction, who progressed from gospel music into soul, jazz and 1990s RNB thanks to their siblings’ record collection through their new single “Molly” with the accompanying video. A perfect blending of old and new, there’s alternation between full-on, full-throated punk vocal menace and movements of restraint governed with some glitchy atmospherics that balances out the track.

7x7 (12. 878)

breaking rust: Billboard’s top country-genre song is AI generated slop—see previously  

crown jewels: Hapsburg family to display to the public a secret, personal stash of treasures hidden in Canada since WWII  

grist for the mill: all the commercial, off-kilter blogs were private-equitied out of existence—via Kottke  

mecces: visiting a McDonald’s in West Berlin in 1984 

s-money: a 1963 patent to replace US paper currency with square plastic wafers—see previously, see also here and here 

the call of the first æthyr: occult poetry by Aleister Crowley (see previously) delivered in his only known recording  

poice: Sora created videos of fake immigration raids in the US infest Facebook