The period of economic stagnation originally referred to as the Great or Long Depression before the interwar slump set new standards for the definition and though caused by a range of contributing factors including the opening of the Suez Canal that was disruptive for entrepรดt trade (also controlled by the British Empire, goods from the Far East were formerly warehoused in South Africa with the previous sea route around the Cape of Good Hope and the traditional sailing ships could not be adapted to navigate the new short-cut as the prevailing Mediterranean winds pushed them back into the Red Sea), devastating fires in Chicago and Boston and Germany going off the bimetallic standard—precipitating a fall in silver prices, the financial crisis with global implications was chiefly attributed to rampant speculation by investors in railroads and boom in their construction particularly in the United States following the Civil War. The panic began on this day in 1873 with the collapse of the Jay Cooke & Company, an innovative banking institution and brokerage house that pioneered the use of “wire” transfers and confirming transactions over telegraph lines, overextended and unable to sell on millions in bonds it had secured to build a second transcontinental line. With the railroad company and the bank indebted, bankruptcy soon followed with contagion spreading to other financial institutions and the insurance industry, prompting the closure of the New York Stock Exchange for ten days with immediate redundancies in the manufacturing sector. Railroad workers went on strike in protest of reduced wages, further exacerbating the crisis and knock-on effects overseas which led to a wave in immigration to the States that coincided with the easing of the turmoil by 1879.
Wednesday, 20 September 2023
the panic of 1873 (11. 011)
9x9 (11. 010)
⏈: play around for a moment with the Water web toy—via Miss Cellania and the Everlasting Blรถrt
green new deal: modelled on FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps, US president Biden creates a federal jobs training and climate protection force
won’t someone think of the children: UK passes Online Safety bill—see previously

nine-man morris: archeologists discover a board game carved in the ruins of an ancient Polish castle
qed: a tiny Irish child has a brilliant solution to the trolley problem—see previously
the mascot of ascot: the magnificent millinery modelled by Gertrude Shilling—via Messy Nessy Chic
once i played a tanpura: electronic music from India from the early 1970s—via Things Magazine
written on water: physicists using an ionic pen and Brownian motion can draw lines and letters in liquid
synchronoptica
one year ago: assorted links to revisit
two years ago: the Global War on Terrorism declared (2001), photographer Charles Cylde Ebbets plus more links to enjoy
three years ago: St Eustace plus running out of hurricane names
four years ago: an AI names mushrooms, exploring a local wayside chapel, more links plus Randy Rainbow for the Emmy
five years ago: retro web bumpers, a then-and-now of New Zealand’s government, modern-day occupations plus the board game Careers
Thursday, 24 August 2023
7x7 (10. 962)
miracle house: a singular property that survived the devastating wildfires opened up to the community as a beacon of hope for a destroyed Lahaina neighbourhood
service manual showcase: a growing curated archive of quirky and niche instruction guides—via Waxy

take the d-train: artist Stipan Tadiฤ documented a year long route from the Bronx to Brooklyn and back—via Nag on the Lake
spaghetti mayhem: Jan Hakon Erichsen has fun with uncooked pasta
word of the day: Susie Dent’s logophilia
ฯ ฮณฯฯ ฯฯฯ: emergency responders struggle to contain fires ravishing Greece—the largest in the EU
Thursday, 17 August 2023
9x9 (10. 948)
?: JWST captures an image of a distinct punctuation mark from the emerging Cosmos
a/v: a history of corporate presentations from slide-shows to Power Point—via Things Magazine
index librorum prohibitorum: an American school district is using ChapGTP to help it decide which books to ban
an unacceptable grindset: driven to produce quantity over quality has yielded some high-profile errors in popular YouTube channelsone on one: legendary interviewer and television presenter Michael Parkinson passes away, aged 88
emerald and stone: an ethereal track by Brian Eno (previously) visualised with water, soap and paint
bart: a trove of Kodachrome slides found discarded in San Francisco reveal the construction of the Bay Area Rapid Transit—see also
einstein’s crosses: astronomers probe the effects of gravitational lensing
synchronoptica
one year ago: ABBA’s last collaboration plus assorted links to revisit
two years ago: more links to enjoy, the first animated film (1908), the constant ฯ plus terra incognito
three years ago: a tragedy in Australia in 1980, Operation Warp Speed plus the Turkic dotted-i
four years ago: some links worth the revisit plus the Cosmos prior to the Big Bang
five years ago: Animal Farm (1945) plus the complex genes of food crops
Sunday, 13 August 2023
sunday drive: talsperre lรผtsche (10. 941)
On the way back from some window-shopping, we took a detour through the Geratal to Frankenhain for a stroll around the second biggest artificial lake in the region (previously).
Dammed in 1935 by the Deutschen Reichsbahn in order to provide a source of water for stations in Erfurt and Arnstadt, by the time the reservoir (Stausee) was completed steam-powered locomotion was being superseded and it was converted to hydropower—and today the same supply-system to cool data centres in Neudietendorf and for brewery operations connected to the train stations that have repurposed the cisterns. The tributary rivers have their source near the winter sports destination Oberhof, whose ancient volcanic composition of quartz porphyry were also the quarry for the retaining walls. Used primarily for recreational activities currently, it was certainly a nice walk down to the beach and good to visit the area again.
catagories: ๐ป, ๐ง, ๐, Thรผringen
Sunday, 30 July 2023
9x9 (10. 915)
polly pocket: following the success of Barbie, all the Mattel branded toys promised their own feature films
freshmen fifteen: a nifty conversion tool in the style of Neal.Fun—via Pasa Bon!

a sunday in the park with georges: the pointillist work by Seurat recreated in Wisconsin—see previously
eimreiรฐin: what became of trains in Iceland
you gotta pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues: we appreciated this reminiscence about the Ringo Starr tune
meteorological optical phenomenon: more on the Sun’s green flash as it disappears from the horizon
seybold seminars: the outsized influence of desktop publishing conferences—see also
return to tender: another exquisite John and Faith Hubley short courtsey of Fancy Notions
Sunday, 16 July 2023
tc-497 or long things which are long (10. 888)
Via Things magazine, we are directed towards the experimental overland train that the earthmoving company LeTourneau developed for the US army as a supply-chain solution to quickly dispatch equipment and materiel to remote locations without roads or tracks. Each carriage was equipped with its own electro-diesel motor to contribute in tandem to the locomotion and also benefitted from regenerative breaking, short configuration pictured but any number trailers could be inserted between cab and caboose. Under the code name Project OTTER (Overland Train Terrain Evaluation Research) in 1961, the TC-497 was prototyped and trialled in hopes of establishing the DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line, a series of radar substations stretched over Alaska and Canada to detect incoming Soviet bombers during the Cold War and was suggested that instead of traditional (hybrid) internal combustion engines, the convoys would be nuclear-powered. Ultimately, the project lost out to ever larger cargo planes and helicopters. Learn more at the links above.
Sunday, 9 July 2023
6x6 (10. 869)
kherson herbarium: botanists risked their lives in war-torn Ukraine to save a unique plant collection—see also
public access: cute stuffed animals jam to vintage records at Otto’s Shrunken Head Tiki Bar & Lounge

fรถhnkrankheit: alpine downdrafts attributed to outbreaks of madness—via Strange Company
msg sphere: a colossal orb covers an events venue in Las Vegas
weedwork: a tour of the first cannabis coworking space in New York City
synchronoptica
one year ago: Tron (1982), the first animated adaptation of The Hobbit, Chroegraphy for Copy Machine (1991), the Charles Bridge of Prague (1357) plus assorted links to revisit
two years ago: past life regression for pets, the presidency of Millard Fillmore plus transiting through Denmark
three years ago: more adventures along the Moselle plus independence for the Republic of Palau (1981)
four years ago: electromagnetic pulse experiments (1961) plus the minimal republics of Rubรฉn Martรญn de Lucas
five years ago: spider ballooning, salterns from above, the Brexit Bulldog resigns plus artist Joshua Reynolds
Tuesday, 4 July 2023
station to station (10. 856)
After the penultimate show of his Ziggy Star Dust world tour in 1973, David Bowie who was then suffering from a fear of flying took a ship from Yokohama to Vladivostok and then the Trans-Siberian Railway back to England, with various whistle-stops along the whistle stops along the way, including the May Day Victory Parade in Moscow. This week-long trip was documented by Bowie himself, with a
16mm videography entitled “The Long Way Home” and by friend and bandmate Geoff MacCormack (also known by the stage name Warren Peace)—meeting fans, drinking sessions with soldiers and sailors and giving impromptu performances, and is on exhibit at the Wende Museum of the Cold War in Culver City, California with an especially curated soundtrack.
Thursday, 22 June 2023
mind the gap (10. 826)
Our intrepid mass-transit correspondent has an in-person dispatch on the new Public Transport Safety campaign from Transport for London (TfL) with their updated series of posters (see also) for Underground platforms, stations and bus berths. The designs are visually striking and a turn from the usual verbose caution warning. What’s your favourite or what other safety niche needs redressing on the metro? Naturally not ‘See it. Say it. Sorted’—that’s no one favourite. Much more from Diamond Geezer at the link up top.
synchronoptic
one year ago: assorted links to visit plus The Man of La Mancha (1965)
two years ago: your daily demon: Sallos, the Elcar, Gallileo found guilty of heresy (1633) plus bricked over windows
three years ago: Heritage Minutes, the Chinese term for mansplaining plus an alleged COVID-detecting dog
four years ago: the Cuyohuga river aflame (1969), leading to the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency
Monday, 12 June 2023
6x6 (10. 802)

rolling stock: a home studio and venerable teleworking space travels from backyard to the woods on a rail line—see also
canopy: a treetop walkway in Fyresdal, Norway
alphabetical order: an appreciation of indexing in the age of miscellany
tugboat: since the 1970s, prospective tanker captains have been training with tiny ships at this centre in France—via Messy Nessy Chic—see also
ablaut reduplication: the unwritten, consensus rule of spoken English we all tend to obey—see also
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
Thursday, 18 May 2023
6x6 (10. 749)
unartificial: city of Vienna is using AI feline-added artwork to promote its inspiration—via Miss Cellania

world police: US military bases around the globe—see previously here and here
sour grapes: the art of the sulk as a form of indirect communication and social-leveller
bakerloo line: an incredible schematic of the Piccadilly Circus under- and overground by Renzo Picasso—see previously
uhohlingo: a AI that generates language learning lessons—and tends to be notoriously wrong
Tuesday, 11 April 2023
9x9 (10. 667)
pass****123: a visualisation of pilfered passwords aggregated from various leaks and breaches
event horizon: a streak of young stars may be the wake of a supermassive black hole ejected from its host galaxy

you sank my battleship: leaked NATO plans for bolstering Ukraine’s military were first circulating on a Minecraft gaming forum—more here
what, me worry: a celebration of the long life and career of cartoonist Al Jaffee
bierpulver: the Neuzeller Klosterbrรคu, known for other innovative libations, introduces a dehydrated beer that one needs only add water to
example handshake: a look at the squelch of the dial-up modem
trapezoidal flux deviation: an alternative proposal for the non-existence of exoplanets—via the New Shelton wet/dry
a generator and a discriminator: AI can crack most users’ passwords in under two minutes—via Dam Interresting’s Curated Links
Thursday, 6 April 2023
6x6 (10. 657)
locus ludi: play ancient Greek and Roman board games and more—via Pasa Bon!

you, me and ui: the logoff button is defunct king kong (your song): Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s other attempts to recapture the success of Monster Mash
castaway huts: a guide to shelters for shipwrecked sailors
็ตใฟ็ด; the traditional Japanese art of making chords and braids
never bet against the house: a group of in tune gamblers find a way to beat the odds with Roulette with preternatural timing—via Damn Interesting’s Curated Links
Sunday, 19 March 2023
vereinte dienstleistungswerkschaft (10. 623)
Established on this day in 2001 as a merger of the congresses of five individual trade unions—with a membership of around two million workers, including postal, banking, insurance, health, education, public service, media and transportation sector employees, Verdi represents the professional interests of its members and successfully lobbies—through political clout, collective bargaining and strike actions—for better compensation and improved working conditions.
Sunday, 12 March 2023
7x7 (10. 606)
the festival of the horse and the boys ploughing match: rambunctious ancient traditions and their modern observance across the British Isles—see previously
depth: AI generated journal entry prompts cinematic adaptation: a literary guide to tonight’s Academy Awards

indigenous futurisms: a look at non-Western visions of the future through the lens of unique cosmologies
acceptance speech: the unexpected and gracious win for Marisa Tomei in 1993 for My Cousin Vinny
stable diffusion: researchers claim an AI can interpret brain-scans and recreate images of what subjects see
wild isles: BBC criticised not broadcasting final episode of David Attenborough series on habitat loss over apparent fears of right-wing backlash—coupled with another furore over media bias
Friday, 3 March 2023
8x8 (10. 585)
subway tycoon: design one’s own fantasy mass-transit system
the myth of sisyphus: how the curse really plays out—via Super Punch
time slider: a stupendous digital clock

facetune: a 1976 patent-application for a dressing mirror with dials to adjust one’s figure
llm: prior to the emergence of ChatGPT and its kind, researchers developed the Octopus Test as a heuristic to explore the limitations of AI communication
handmade holograms: DIY 3D etchings labyrinth: introducing the fifteen-hour city—see also
Friday, 17 February 2023
panopticon (10. 552)
Though I am very much enjoying working remotely and spending time with the dog, I do miss my former fifteen-minute city, well connected with a good train service for the commute to the office and everything else immanently walkable, and was quite taken aback—though I suppose we should regard everything as commodifiable and subject to exploit—to learn, via Web Curios (lots to see there, as every week), that the benign and beneficial civil engineering priority that’s taken root on the other side of the Atlantic as well as being remediated and reenforced in places originally planned that way is the subject of conspiracy theorists, calling the changes to urban zoning an open-air prison with denizens at first coerced and then tethered to their well if not adequately apportioned neighbourhoods. While such layouts have proven timeless over time, there’s expected to be a short-term backlash to change when we stop catering to automobiles and sprawl.
Friday, 10 February 2023
tube theatre (10. 540)
Web Curios directs our attention and appreciation to the hypertext novel “for the Internet in seven cars and a crash” by Geoff Ryman that has recently been resurrected in its original 1996 form coinciding with the anniversary of its inception and a mention in an culture piece on the novelty of interactive television from The Guardian. Recounting the narratives in a manner of constrained writing—which is truly good prose with its strictures and privileging numbers over the vagaries of language—of the passengers (the capacity of seven carriages plus conductor) riding the Bakerloo line from Embankment Station to Elephant & Castle. Each rider is limned for the reader in the same amount of words and linked to their travelling companions by an associative index of vignettes, which one can read in any order. Also published as a book—earning a Philip K Dick Award—differences are highlighted in print form whereas intrinsic similarities come through on the web.