The revitalised linkroll of Mx Tynehorne’s cabinet of hypertext curiosities reminds of another venerable old school Wunderkammer, very much en vivant and worth checking out on a regular basis, in the aperiodic blog of Peter Blinn, Curious Notions. Covering anniversaries and superlatives and obscure but useful tools in the main, it’s easy to get lost down a rabbit hole of shifting and surprising facts, which is undoubtedly a good feature for this sort of curation. Starting with a Monty Python-inspired cheesemongers’ survey of the rarest and most precious varieties just published for us turophiles, we learn that the among the most dear are traditionally caciocavallo—that is, transported by horseback, and derived from the milk of donkeys, derived from a tiny herd in the Balkans, a small-batch production influenced by folkways and the fact that the milk of an asinine jenny is counted as one of the leanest in the mammal family and produce sparingly compared to bovine sources.
Sunday 10 March 2024
Sunday 11 February 2024
o wheel, o woe (11. 342)
Already under threat by regulators for its traditional packaging, we learn that Camembert and brie face a compound calamity due to a collapse in microbial diversity. The fungal strains that give distinctive flavours and characteristics and which producers have relied on for centuries are now demonstrating that consistency comes at a cost (see also), the favoured now standard Peniciliium camemberti no longer found in the wild. Propagation via cloning over generations have rendered the fungi less resilient and harder for cheesemakers to grow and the monoculture of fungi of these domesticated microbes also imperil the future of blue cheeses, like Gorgonzola and Roquefort, at least in their refined form.
Thursday 25 January 2024
11x11 (11. 292)
liar’s dividend: digital propaganda and implausible deniability—via the New Shelton wet/dry
working cows dairy: a collection of superlative cheeses—via Kottke
the blazing world: a 1666 novel considered the first world of science fiction by a woman author
everglades jetport: uncovering the ruins of a failed supersonic runway floundering in the in the Florida wetlands—see previouslythe furby panic: US National Security Agency compelled to release a trove of documents outlining their ban of the toy as a potential instrument of espionage—via Waxy
press-gang: while most news outlets block AI crawlers used to scrape training data, right-wing media welcomes them—see previously
mac@40: a website showing every model of the Apple computer as it enters its fifth decade
winter in aizu: a woodblock series from Sosaku Hanga artist Kiyoshi Saito
you are both so much more than kenough: Hillary Clinton weighs in the Oscar nominations for Barbie—via Super Punch
time in a bottle: one bar’s water-clock has drained—though we’d not be adverse to a Harvey Wallbanger
white stork: the Ukraine war-sandbox and the rise of the AI-Military Complex—see previously
synchronoptica
one year ago: data-scrapping and copyright
two years ago: MediaWiki Day, more custom cars, Roman milestones plus an inexplicable fast food mascot
three years ago: your daily demon: Valac, assorted links to revisit plus the Torlonia Marbles
four years ago: vintage virtual dressing rooms, happy birthday Volodymyr Zelenskyy, more on the US Space Force plus Mendelssohn’s Wedding March
five year ago: photojournalist Jessie Tarbox Beals, a Droste homage, more links to enjoy, a Trump associate arrested plus cardinal notions
Thursday 11 January 2024
11x11 (11. 259)
cheesemongering: a specialist seller experiments with fifty-six varieties to find the perfect grilled sandwich
vector portraits: photographs of drivers at speed traveling in Los Angeles
decision 2024: this is the biggest year yet—and possibly democracy’s biggest test with over half the world’s population voting within the next twelve months
run, rabbit, run: an AI-powered gadget designed to use one’s apps for one sells outelectronics gives us a way of classifying things: Microsoft (now the most valued company in the world thanks to its part in AI, a font of misinformation) once explained to author Terry Pratchett how technology referees would make propaganda a thing of the past
squaring the circle: Substackers against Nazis—reloaded—and a reminder that one can’t be just a little bit facist
re-migration: a coalition of the far-right met outside of Berlin in November to discuss mass deportations
blanket immunity: Trump’s legal team presents arguments for a president above the law—setting up the US Supreme Court to either rule on his exoneration or eligibility
proxima swarm: US space agency supports bold proposal to reach the next nearest star system with a wall of tiny craft propelled by photons—see previously
flower taxi: a mobile florist from 1960s London
marie harel: producers of Camembert in Normandy fear EU recycling regulation could mean the end for their traditional wooden box packaging
Sunday 19 November 2023
milbenkรคse (11. 126)
Strange Company directs our attention to an attempt to revive a foodway, a half a millennium old tradition that had all but died out during East German times when the government (perhaps wisely, and continues to inhabit a grey regulatory area) banned the production and distribution of live-mite food, thanks to the concerned efforts of two individuals in the village Wรผrchwitz, south of Leipzig. Also known as Spinnenkรคse, it was discovered accidentally (see also) by leaving curd (Quark) to age in a wooden box and then finding it ripened and edible, with a bit of a zesty after-taste thanks to an infestation of microscopic arachnids (Tyrophagus casei, memorial erected in 2009 in the only locality that makes it) whose bodies form the rind. It wasn’t until much later that people understood how it was being formed and apparently pairs well with beer or wine. More from Atlas Obscura at the link above.
synchronoptica
one year ago: ASCII meme templates, the micronation Rose Island, an Egyptian surrealist movement, a word-generating bot plus vox populi out of context
two years ago: visiting Gdaลsk
three years ago: the Arecibo radio telescope decommissioned, a sad Christmas tree plus an just passed, much anticipated wine release
four years ago: the first Monรฉgasque television station plus assorted links to revisit
five years ago: The Last Unicorn, a 3D printed architectural pavilion, the German Youth Word of the Year plus artificial flowers to help the pollinators
Thursday 7 September 2023
tyromancers (10. 989)
Via Nag on the Lake and Weird Universe, we discover a divination practise perfectly suited to our gang of turophiles in the form of telling one’s fortune by watching cheese congeal and coalesce and noting its characteristics—dating back to the Middle Ages, a time when people frequently consulted objects at hand for guidance. One technique described was for eligible individuals to inscribe the names of potential partners on a cheese and the first to moulder would indicate the best match. More at the links above.
catagories: ๐ฎ, ๐ง, Middle Ages
Friday 1 September 2023
8x8 (10. 977)
diyarbakฤฑr: archeologists discover a massive subterranean city under the Roman garrison at Zerzevan
aaro: the Pentagon launches a website to explore declassified information on unidentified anomalous phenomena, via Slashdot—also watch this instead
space for kitchen aerobics: the latest oversized monstrosity from McMansion Hell—previously
queso de cabrales: a hunk of artisanal cheese from Asturias fetches a record-setting price—via Strange Company
a directory of wonderful things: an expert curated selection of weird and delightful corners of the internet
chatgop: a conservative media outlet may have interviewed an AI generated Donald Trump
colossus of constantine: plans to restore the monumental statue of the Roman emperor built as a triumph for his victory in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
Tuesday 11 July 2023
7x7 (10. 874)
fit for a king: a selection of ersatz castles for sale in the US
caliology: corvids using anti-bird spikes for nesting material
100ยบ in the shade: mapping tree shadows
free agent: labour force of the outsourced talk about the effects of the AI revolution—via Waxy
ravensbourne: finding the lost rivers of London—see previously
involuntary memory: the aetiology of earworms
cheese royal: Burger King in Thailand introduces a menu item composed of twenty slices of American cheese
Thursday 25 May 2023
8x8 (10. 765)
simply the best: tributes pour in from around the world for the Queen of Rock and Roll, Tina Turner—previously
fabric swatches meticulously arranged: piecing together the mystery of the dress diary of Missus Anne Sykes—via Nag of the Lake
midnight train: routes of Europe’s overnighters—see previously—via Kottke
pasteurised prepared cheese product: attempts at rehabilitating the impoverished state of American caseiculture
cotton tree: Sierra Leone’s iconic landmark brought down by a heavy storm
ะบะพะฝัะตะฟััะฐะปัะฝัะน ะบะพะฝัะตัะฒะฐัะธะทะผ: chief of Russian mercenary forces, retreating from Bakhmut, says that the offensive in Ukraine has backfired
chintzy: a history of the calico, block printed textile
hollywood babylon: occultist and underground maker of experimental short films, Kenneth Anger has passed away—see previously
Sunday 29 January 2023
8x8 (10. 509)
musiclm: a Google sandbox experiment for audio generation from rich captions—via Waxy and Web Curios—see previously
krewe of karens: i would like to see the Mardi Gras manager
semi-stagionato: an ancient method for surviving the COVID cheese glut made have improved the region’s pecorino cheeses
taming of the shrew: voles manage to bond and form long-term relationships without the “love hormone” oxycotinparty (of one): Broadway Barbara’s “Dance for Your Life!”—see also
an absurd italian gastronomic religion: the ironical, fascist sauce that outlived the war on pasta—via Nag on the Lake’s Sunday Links—lots more to explore there
you know i always wanted to pretend that i was an architect: attribute these quotes to either Seinfeld’s George Costanza or GOP darling George Santos
magic voice: more prompts and audio continuation courtesy of Google’s suite of AI tools
Saturday 3 December 2022
6x6 (10. 357)
yuletide: Spitalfield’s Life welcomes the Festive Season with George Cruikshank’s illustrations—see previously
isle of vaila: a remote mansion in the Shetlands comes on the market—via Strange Companyhoops and loopholes: NPR’s Planet Money surveys the US tax code and tax-exemptions
curds and whey: the ecosystems that make up our cheeses—via Damn Interesting’s Curated Links
sight and sound: a once-a-decade poll of critics and filmmakers rates the top one hundred movies of all time
the duchy of rutland: a Christmas at Belvoir Castle
Thursday 1 December 2022
week-by-week (10. 350)
Contributing correspondent and consultant Tom Whitwell, in an annual tradition has posted a collection of interesting facts he has gleaned over the past twelve months, highlighting one intriguing idea per week. The entire list is well worth your while to peruse. We've previously encountered item twenty—if you want a question answered on the internet, then post a wrong answer—in the form of Cunningham’s Law and the penultimate Swiss cheese cartel behind fondue but most were wholly new to us. We especially liked the advice on using conversational doorknobs to afford both parties to digress and confess, the fanciful Russian history articles on Chinese Wikipedia that went unnoticed for a decade (see also), inscrutable AIs—one accurately differentiating male from female eyes but none can figure out how—and the proposal for heavenbanning: instead of deplatforming an individual, replace their followers with artificial sycophants, ditto head bots and cutting off that bad actor from human interaction. Which one is your favourite?
catagories: ๐, ๐ง, ๐ง , networking and blogging, ⓦ
Monday 17 October 2022
7x7 (10. 232)
cheesewrights and turophiles: Noรซlle Janaczewska on the culinary and artistic history of cheese
causal observer: a teenager in Trondhjem called Christian Charlotte Elster captured various scenes of Regency-Era Norway in the early nineteenth century–via Messy Nessy Chic
perhaps more like edison than tesla: friends, family and enemies discuss Elon Muskputinversteher: Russian leadership enlisting influential mouthpieces to convince Western governments to accede to their narratives–see previously
kukla, fran & ollie: a Youtube channel working to conserve and put on-line over seven hundred episodes of the 1950s puppet theatre–via r/ObscureMedia
parlement technologies: the rapper formerly known as Kanye West announces plans to purchase rightwing friendly social media site
la pyramide des saveurs: France’s reigning and unrivaled Queen of Cheeses, Nathalie Quartrehomme
Thursday 13 October 2022
8x8 (10. 220)
punto di ebollizione: pasta maker introduces ‘passive cooker’ meters
capricorn one: a thoroughgoing review of a 1977 film about a faked Mars landinga shropshire lass: four decades of mushrooming in England and Wales
friluftsliv: the term for the Danish tradition of unwinding in the wilds popularised by playwright Henrik Ibsen
perfect for roquefort cheese: all about blue cheeses—see also
yes sirah: origins and production of wine grape varietals around the globe—via tmn
wormsign: building a functional Fremen thumper
hasta la pasta: the Italian influence in Argentinian cuisine
Tuesday 21 June 2022
6x6
zhaocai: office cats in China face redundancy with startups closing
utterly buttery: an etymological lesson and childhood memory on oleomargarinefrisson: a group of neuroscientists compile an extensive playlist of chill-inducing musical tracks
blood sugar sex magik: chants delivered by Aleister Crowley (previously) preserved on a wax cylinder
umwelten: a new volume by Ed Yong explores the “self-centred world” (another Rรผckwanderer) of human and non-human animals
barn cats: felines at work at a creamery in Maine
Thursday 2 June 2022
7x7
phillumeny: venerable Japanese matchbox manufacturer shuttering after almost a century
fpoty: Pink Lady’s finalist gallery of superlative food photographs in its annual competition—via Everlasting Blรถrt
posidonia australis: researchers determine that a giant patch of ribbon weed in Shark Bay Australia a
singular, ancient and expansive plantshadow gradient: expanding hole optical illusion is a touch trypophobic—via Boing Boing
metamorphosis: late fifteenth century ecologist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian who was among the first naturalist to closely observe insects and understand their life cycles
casein chipping: more on cheese heists and ways to stop them
philately: a travelogue of postage stamps of imaginary places—see also
Wednesday 1 June 2022
the stresa convention
Hosted in the above Italian city on the shores of Lago di Maggiore on this day 1951, the International Treaty on the Use of Appellations of Origin and Denomination of Cheeses (see also) was adopted by the members of the European Community (EC) and went into force two years later—providing a framework for protection of goods manufactured and matured in regions by dent of local, loyal and uninterrupted traditions—plus relief from imitators. The first annex lists Gorgonzola, Parmigiana Romano, Pecorino and Roquefort. The second annex includes Asiago, Camembert, Cambozola, Danablu, Edam, Emmental, Esrom, Gouda, Gruyรฉre and Samsรถe.
Saturday 9 April 2022
8x8
r/place: Josh Wardle’s (previously) first viral success with this collaborative subreddit
modern screen: an annotated read along of a February 1961 celebrity magazine
hey hey, rise up: Pink Floyd reunites to support Ukrainesee you later, percolator: a gallery of vintage, commercial coffee makers
spotifictional: a streaming back-catalogue of bands from television and the movies
cheese heist: dairy crime-rings around the world—see also
scratchcard lanyard: a song from Dry Cleaning
explordle: guess the global cities as webcam images flit by—via Web Curios
Saturday 13 November 2021
8x8
uap: an interview with former US DoD head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Programme says that “Tic-Tac” craft have been observed by the navy for decades
dutch angle: dramatic tilt in cinematography
comrade kiev: an exquisitely curated collection of posters from Soviet timesp68/dulcimer: a prototype of the iPod—which celebrated its twentieth birthday last month—via Twisted Sifter
subjective distance: more on the ordering of adjectives and the unwritten rules of language—see previously
quesos y besos: a soft goat cheese from Spain beat out many contenders to be awarded the top prize for the annual World Cheese Awards
shoulder-surfing: a patent to discourage lookie-loos with a screen blur for those without the proper headgear and glasses—via Slashdot
discopter: Alexander Weygers patented the design for the first UFO flying vehicle decades before the craze in sightings and visitations
Wednesday 8 September 2021
๐ง + ๐ + ✝️ + ๐ฉฒ + ๐ = ๐
The always engaging Languagehat refers us to a discussion thread that traces the propagation of language and literature through historical shifts that shape the way we communicate and interpret the legacy of the incidents and accidents of publishing and publicising for Europe. While there is an element of the Just So Stories of Rudyard Kipling (How the Leopard Got its Spots, and likely as potentially problematic), the narrative does not purport to be academically strenous and presents only theories and strings matters together nicely. Our trajectory to book format begins with cheese and dairy as an imperishable caloric store to help early humans survive cold, harsh winters with female sheep and cows more valuable than their male counterparts, whom would be slaughtered young so they wouldn’t need to be fed during the season of scarcity. This yielded a surfeit of vellum that could be used for writing material, necessarily bound as a hardback as the medium tended buckle if not kept flat.