Reminiscent of this other etiquette campaign for the metro’s ridership, we enjoyed this exhibitions of the mock newspaper editions of the Subway Sun that lined cars from 1936 to 1965, featuring the illustrations of Fred Cooper (among the inaugeral inductees of the Society of Illustrators and also know for his miniatures and illuminated drop-caps for Life magazine and letterer behind the Cooper Black typeface) and Amelia Ross Opdyke “Oppy” Jones, who together promoted polite and considerate behaviour (the latter coining the word litterbug as a play on “jitterbug”) and NewYork City’s museums and special events as an enticement for residents and visitors to use the Interborough mass transit system. Much more from Hyperallergic at the link above.
Sunday, 18 May 2025
the bronx is up and the battery’s down (12. 469)
Friday, 4 April 2025
8x8 (12. 365)
museum of now: This American Life invites us to sit with and reflect on the artefacts of day and hour
rift valley: a Trump appointed special envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tiffany’s father-in-law, seeking to make a deal on mineral resources in hopes of securing peace with Rwandan rebels
fay wray: a swarm of drones recreate the iconic scene of King Kong scaling the Empire State building
toast malone: a short clip of the singer performing Circles, animated on one hundred thirty-three slices of bread
altair 8800: a retrospective of Microsoft at fifty
the bronx is up and the battery’s down: new NYC subway map is an homage to an early digrammatic version
blanket non-fraternisation policy: US bans government personnel stationed in China from forming relationships with locals
national endowment for the humanities: US museums, libraries and archives see their grants terminated—see previously
Tuesday, 1 April 2025
whistle-stop tour (12. 355)

synchronoptica
one year ago: Germany legalises marijuana (with synchronoptica) plus April Fools
seven years ago: more early Easter greetings, a monopoly on local media, a vintage April calendar plus Granny’s University of the Imagination
eight years ago: alphabetic architecture, Trump’s supporting cast, more AI pranks plus the proposed Analemma Tower
nine years ago: precision crowd formation plus a once lost species makes a comeback
ten years ago: assorted links worth revisiting, the roots of monotheism plus an overview of heraldic charges
Monday, 24 February 2025
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 (ไธ้ฝไนฑไผ, everything is chaotic, xฤซqiรจ dลu shรฌ hวnluร n 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
Thursday, 20 February 2025
verkehrshaus der schweiz (12. 247)
Delightfully, we discover courtesy of Present /&/ Correct that the Swiss Museum of Transport in Luzern has a wing (Halle Strassen-verkehr) clad in street signs. One of the most popular exhibitions in the country (see also), the museum campus features displays of historic railroad engines, automotive exhibits (with tunnels and mountain passes), cable cars, maritime navigation and aerospace, including the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) an uncrewed science laboratory, one of the few satellites successfully deorbited and returned to the Earth undamaged.
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
congestion pricing is dead—manhattan and all of new york is saved—long live the king (12. 244)
Again for saying the quiet part out loud, Trump is being ravished on social media and the press after liken himself to a monarch as he issued an executive order to revoke the recently enacted surcharge to encourage and support public transportation in New York City and has received considerable backlash from state officials who realise that the schemes have worked for other large metropolitan areas. This magisterial declaration is happening at the same time that Trump ordered federal prosecutors to drop the corruption investigation against disgraced mayor Eric Adams, a move which led to a succession of resignations by attorneys who could not abide by this curtailment of justice. Adams had been currying favour from Trump since the election in hopes of securing a pardon but in falling short of unconditional clemency (a royal prerogative it seems to me and wondering if such power has a place within a constitutional democracy) Trump is ostensibly exerting pressure on the mayor, since he could
countermand that order to the justice department and pursue charges, to make sure that the city cooperates with immigration raids and municipal authorities don’t pushback on agents entering schools and churches. The GOP is leaning into Trump’s coronation and Democrats for their part are giving a history lesson on the American War of Independence.
Thursday, 30 January 2025
natronlokomotive (12. 194)
From the archives of Amusing Planet, we learn about a variant of “fireless” trains, running off a reservoir compressed air cycling through a reciprocating engine as opposed to steam-power derived from burning coal—cheaper, more energy efficient and safer without the risk of boiler explosion but with a limited range, called soda locomotives. Invented in the early 1880s by engineer and chemist Mortiz Honigmann, the engine was loaded with five tons of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), generating heat when the substance came in contact with water, enough to propel the car forward with exhaust from the pistons in the closed-system passing again through the soda to perpetuate the cycle. After about four to five hours of use, the chemical reaction ceased being self-sustaining, at which point the boiler jacket would be swapped out for a refresh one at a station, the spent soda “recharged,” re-concentrated by dehydrating it, evaporating the excess water with an injection of ultra hot steam, that sourced from municipal heating surplus. Trialled as street cars for the public transit systems of Berlin and Aachen, they proved reliable and were well-received by passengers due to their silence and lack of smoke and soot. The demonstration project, however, was abandoned due to logistical problems, owning to the weight of the tank and liability for explosion (which fortunately never occurred) and whilst a forgotten juncture in rail and metro development, such an thermo-chemical exchange system has found new applications in recent years as a storage cell for renewable energy.
synchronoptica
one year ago: a sixty year old chatbot (with synchronoptica), Sierra On-line games plus assorted links worth revisiting
seven years ago: an exceptional flaneur, LEGO Day plus an online museum of ephemera
eight years ago: Trump’s national security council, feeding livestock subpar candy plus American Carnage 1.0
nine years ago: underwhelming fossils, Barbie origins, seasonal trappings and stereotypes, UFO cults plus road sign typefaces
ten years ago: the history of US-Mexico relations, the Duma to rule on German reunification plus more links to enjoy
Sunday, 26 January 2025
13x13 (12. 185)
embossed: turn of the century tactile teaching aids for the visually impaired for lessons on nature and geography
lab-leak theory: US Central Intelligence Agency embraces controversial vector for COVID-19 pandemic, discounting zoonosis factors
ghostwatch: the supernatural horror BBC mockumentary broadcast on Halloween (see also) 1992 and never shown again due to the panic it elicited
sb593: Oklahoma legislature introduces bill to “restore moral sanity” and criminalise production, distribution and possession of adult material—see previously
minimoog: a fully-functional analogue synthesiser in LEGO
haptics and macros: an idea to add gait gestures to one’s smart phone—we can hardly do the right kind of fake kick to open the rear hatch on our car
mox nix: language borrowings from German propagated by US and UK soldiers stationed there post WWII
electric garden: a run-down lodge transformed into a living museum mapchat: interact with AI shopkeepers for local businesses—results may vary
wassergรถttin: prehistoric figurine from the Hallstadt culture found in 2022 in Lower Franconia goes on display at the Bavarian State Archaeological Museum in Mรผnchen
walk without rhythm and you won’t attract the worm: graboids—see also—the other in-jokes that Tremors leans into
underrepresentation: as part of order to eliminate DEI programmes, US Food and Drug Administration curbs clinical trials aimed at diverse populations for cancer research
switchmen: the sign language of railroad workers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
11x11 (12. 172)
concrete feats: the landmark Vรฅga Water Tower on coast Varberg, Sweden
ลฟpy v ลฟpy: a look at the world of espionage in the Middle Ages—via the new Shelton wet/dry
obelisks: researchers discover a new form of life with circular RNA—that appear less alive than viruses
we were wrong that day—we broke the law: convicted January Sixth capitol rioter known as MAGA Granny rejects clemency offer

cinematic universe: The Goonies and Back to the Future happened on the same day in 1985—via Kottke
ััะธัั: foundry excavating Ukrainian fonts from the underground
dark web: Trump has granted an unconditional pardon to Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht
red team: research students—under supervision recreate—viral pathogens identical to those that caused the 1918 influenza pandemic
lexicon: a glossary of medieval words from Middle English whose meanings have shifted
solar gate: 4D printed blinds mimic plants to open and close on their own
Monday, 7 October 2024
one summer never ends, one summer never begins (11. 890)
Starring Sterling Hayden, Nancy Gates, Jacky Gleason and featuring Paul Frees in on his rare on-screen appearances, the 1954 noir (released on this day) is about a small eponymous town in California in turmoil when the president of the United States is scheduled to make a stump speech there for his reelection bid and a team of assassins overtake a home with an ideal vantage point to carry out their plan. Holding the occupants hostage, the contract killer (Sinatra) proclaims that his retainer is his only motivation and manage to foil the plot, after appealing to patriotism fails, by sabotaging the weapons. The writer of the original novel based his story on the actual whistle-stop campaign of Eisenhower through Palm Springs and went on inspire The Manchurian Candidate five years later, also with the same principal but this time working to stop an assassination and government takeover—with Frees narrating. According to studio lore, Sinatra bought all copies of both films when he learned that reportedly Lee Harvey Oswald was inspired by them to undertake the killing of JFK but is apparently untrue as both were released and still available. Moreover, due to a lapse in copyright renewal, Suddenly! is accessible in full as public domain.
* * * * *
synchronoptica
one year ago: more vineyard adventures (with synchronoptica) plus Hamas launches a surprise incursion into Israel
seven years ago: an intelligence service’s guide to semantics plus more terrorism from Trump
eight years ago: Ze Frank on the Angler Fish, an amphibious camper, more vexillology, litter box beautification projects, more wit from Edward Gorey plus pin-up houses
nine years ago: human chess with refugees plus assorted links to revisit
ten years ago: potential scuba innovations, Dalรญ’s lollipop campaign plus AI rewriting photography
Wednesday, 2 October 2024
we had a bomb scare in the bronx yesterday, but it turned out to be a cantaloupe (11.889)
Released on this day in 1974, with its title derived from the subway train’s radio call-sign, the downtown number 6 express originating from Pelham Bay Park station at 1:23, the hostage thriller by Joseph Sargent and Peter Stone, based on the eponymous novel from the year prior was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Starring Walter Matthau, four men in disguise ransom the passengers, eighteen hostages, demanding a sum of one million dollars be delivered or in an hour lest one will be killed every minute that handover is delayed. The score by David Shire (Saturday Night Fever, All the President’s Men) was also lauded for its inventive nature. Most of the filming took place at the abandoned Brooklyn Court Street station, the location of several movies including Death Wish, The French Connection and the 2009 remake and later becoming the Metropolitan Transit Authority Museum, the MTA at first not cooperating with the production as it reflected badly on city governance and retired that particular call-sign. The colour-coded ransomers names is paid tribute in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
* * * * *
synchronoptica
one year ago: the dissolution of the Papal States (with synchronoptica)
seven years ago: Catalonian session
eight years ago: the debut of Peanuts, Trump cashes a cheque, the etymology of culprit, assorted links to revisit plus Miss Cora Gated
eleven years ago: Swiss war-games plus more on the US surveillance state
thirteen years ago: banking elsewhere plus exposing Brussels lobbyists
Monday, 30 September 2024
8x8 (11. 884)
glamos: Switzerland and Italy agree to redraw their borders due to melting glaciers
a purrfect storm: the childless cat lady trope goes back to the origins of female suffrage and political participation—see previously
main character syndrome: a need for recognition and validation fuelled by technological change drives self-mythologising whether or not there’s an audience—see also
daily affirmation: fifty years of Saturday Night Live title cards and graphic design
viscawide-16: a Wiki dedicated to vintage and antique cameras—via Pasa Bon!
ultraviolence: Trump proposes sanctioning a day of lawlessness, akin to the plot of The Purge or Kristallnacht to end criminal behaviour
we are the trampions: the annual European street car driver competition—see previously
industrial age: UK shutters last coal-fired power-plant, ending a one hundred forty two year era
Wednesday, 18 September 2024
10x10 (11. 852)
analogical harmony: Edwin Babbit’s Principles of Light and Colour (1878)
riding the rails: a guide to a cross-country trip on America’s Amtrak
world level zero: how well travelled are you—see previously
porifera: an appreciation of the barely understood sea sponge
me and my aero: one inventor invented both the flying ring frisbee and an innovative coffee press—via Kottke
type tuesday: Microsoft’s new default font (see previously here and here) and more typographical briefs
the cry of cthuthu: Poseidon’s Underworld reads the July 1979 anniversary issue of Starlog—see previously
small world: kinetic microphotography captures biological processes and microbes in never-before-seen ways
road trip: charting the longest possible drivable distance through Eurasia
come up off your colour chart: Taylor Swift lyrical swatches
synchronoptica
one year ago: faithless electors (with synchronoptica)
seven years ago: the stage play that coined race plus a legitimising veneer for populist prejudice
eight years ago: a visit to the Hessen Landtag
ten years ago: Roman emperor Hadrian
eleven years ago: a photographic scavenger hunt in Leipzig plus gifting votes
Tuesday, 27 August 2024
tube map central (11. 796)
Via Quantum of Sollazzo, we are directed this elegant concentric representation of the London Underground’s classic layout (see previously here and here), with this circle-and-spoke map that better matches the geography of the stops and stations, updated after eleven years. Although with the disclaimer that this has already been circulating on the internet, we can only recall one other such rendering of a mass-transit network. Much more at the links above.
Saturday, 17 August 2024
tramsterdam (11. 773)
Via the always excellent Web Curios, we are directed to the latest Sim City-type, model railroad builder from Matt Stark (see previously) that allows one to reconfigure the streets and canals of the Dutch capital with houses, parks, paths and a public transportation network. Once limned fully for the route to make a circuit, you can watch the tramcars trundle from station to station. The structures become bigger and more articulated the higher the concentration. Give it a try and be sure to share your creations.
synchronoptica
one year ago: assorted links to revisit (with synchronoptica) plus Wagner’s Ring Cycle
seven years ago: revisiting Oppรจde plus the truths of Buddhism
eight years ago: weaponising the ionosphere, survivor trees, rituals to keep mosquitoes away, more on stashed cash plus more adventures in Goslar
nine years ago: a crafty spider plus a visit to Mother Meera
ten years ago: re-discovering podcasts through the History of Rome, a mindfulness app, know thy selfie plus more on the Roman Empire
Saturday, 6 July 2024
9x9 (11. 665)
won’t back down: Biden committed to remain his party’s candidate for the US presidential election
wall∙e: facing a labour shortage, Japan railways deploys a colossal humanoid robot to maintain train tracks
conspiracy theory rock: the 1998 Saturday Night Live TV Funhouse cartoon that may or may have not been banned by the network

shadow secretary: the political upbringing of Sir Keir Starmer
wish you were here: beforehand postcards to prepare prior to departing for vacation—see previously
oberheim ob-1: a short documentary on the revolutionary analogue synthesiser that allowed musicians to record and save patches for playback
a face to a name: researchers create life-like robotic skin to express emotion and self-healing from harvested juvenile foreskin cells
dark brandon: Democrats backing Biden’s decision to run
synchronoptica
one year ago: advice for urban day-trippers in the countryside (with synchronoptica)
eight years ago: gameifying one’s wellbeing
nine years ago: pushing Greece out of the EU plus assorted links to revisit
ten years ago: more dragnet surveillance
eleven years ago: a history of fireworks
Monday, 10 June 2024
7x7 (11. 618)
bernhard modern: pre- and proscriptions in font choice in legal briefs
mind the gap: a huge collection of historic London Underground maps and posters—see previously

in search of…: the Dogon culture and ancient astronomy
homebrewed: following his felony conviction, Trump’s licenses to sell liquor under scrutiny
pay wall: you’ve read your last fee article, such is the nature of mortality
and peace and justice for all: Tweet of the Day re-litigates and exonerates all of Trump’s misdeeds
poster child: the auction expertise of Nicho Lowry
show bible: a reprinting of the DC Comics Style Guide from 1982
Friday, 24 May 2024
6x6 (11. 581)
Wednesday, 8 May 2024
pacific 231 (11. 547)
The most often performed of his orchestral arrangements and originally given the working title Mouvement Symphonique for the compositional exercise in building momentum whilst slowing tempo, the tone poem by Arthur Honegger, a member of Les Six—a group of composers working in Montparnasse who collaborated on projects and produced albums during the interbellum and WWII when audiences could not attend live performances—had its premiere on this day in 1924. A tribute to steam locomotives and named for a class of engines with two axles for pilot wheels, three for the driving wheels and two for the trailing, Honegger was a noted train enthusiast, declaiming that “I have always loved locomotives passionately. For me they are living creatures, and I love them as others love women or horses.” The below 1949 award-winning short by director Jean Mitry of the same name scores railyard operations to Honegger’s music.
Tuesday, 7 May 2024
7x7 (11. 544)
group tape №1: a 1981 compilation from the International Electronic Music Association collective

hardfork: the duality of Vernor Vinge’s Singularity
to share something is to risk losing it: an update on the beloved Broccoli Tree (not pictured), which was loved to death—see also
mai-1: Microsofts new AI model could potentially over take rivals
pod squad: Project CETI gains more insights into whale communication
haus 33: a ride on the Techno Train that loops from Nรผrnberg to Wรผrzburg
one year ago: the Devil’s Bible
two years ago: a classic from Spandau Ballet
three years ago: cheugy plus Kraft Television Theatre
four years ago: cereal and straw craft, Kraftwerk plus Shelter-in-Place
five years ago: the long-delayed passage of a US constitutional amendment, designer Georg Elliot Olden, the unending attraction of nature plus haunted dolls