for the nonce

Though not usually in the business of documenting isolated uses, we discover nonetheless via the Oxford English Dictionary word of the day subscription service a rather delightful example in Ogden Nash’s one-off murdermongeress, appearing in a 1957 poetic reflection on Agatha Christie, whom was fairly singular in her field but nowadays the crime writer genre is more equitable.  Presumably non-gendered, a murdermonger was a term used in the late 1700s for a professional killer. A flock of crows is called a murder purely for arbitrary reasons compiled in a rather fanciful book on venery that sought to ennoble or debase animals based on the characteristics we assume them to have (see also)—that and their presence at the gallows. Relatedly, in the company of ravens we encounter three different names depending on the group’s activity: a constabulary (keeping watch, as over the Tower of London), an unkindness (see above) or a conspiracy (hunting in packs rather than scavenging alone).

find your hidden talent

H some times judges me for posting such things—which I assuredly deserve, but we enjoyed unapologetically indulging in this circumspective article from Pasa Bon! on the art and science (owing to friction and the Van der Waals force, discovered by a fellow Hollander—crucial for developing nanotechnology and for geckos walking on ceilings) of spoon hanging and subjects adjacent. Don’t let a perceived language barrier intimidate exploring the site further, since you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much is universal and intuitive.

i took a trip on a gemini spaceship

Via the resplendent Everlasting Blört, we are treated to a series of never before released photographs of David Bowie (*1947 – †2016) captured by Markus Klinko for his 2002 studio album Heathen, images inspired by the neoclassic, come-backs tracks. Klinko whom has since worked with a number of recording artists was engaged by Bowie after the photographer took the book jacket picture for the cover of Bowie’s wife’s autobiography, I am Iman. Learn more and discover a whole gallery of galley proofs at the links above.

prayvaganza and purely scientific post-script

There’s a certain hegemony to the present that privileges the living and those living though it to declare work of fiction—allegory or otherwise—to be especially resounding and addressing them directly, granted, but there’s something particularly prescient to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (previously) which describes the world’s trajectory, which doubtless also spoke to the author and her readership at the time of writing, publication back in 1985, that’s really hard to shake. Such is the mark of good writing, and I’m embarrassed to say that I hadn’t read Atwood’s brisk, engaging story of dystopian transition from democracy to theocracy that cozened up to the fragility of the male ego and fears of displacement of the status quo. Atwood, nor none of the other storytellers with accounts caution, visionary or otherwise, aspires to be a prophet and hopeful with warnings as dark and dire and banally begun the sort of future set forth here could be avoided. Sorry for being Johnny-come-Lately to this novel and highly recommend anyone re-read it in anticipation of the recently published sequel.

you wouldn’t like me when i’m angry

Whilst former Prime Minister David Cameron characterises Johnson’s faith in leaving the EU only qualified and continues on this trajectory to preserve his political career, just ahead of a Monday lunchtime meeting with European Commission president regarding the Irish border for which all and sundry have pretty lower expectations and the British Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality (prompted by accusations by the Scottish court) of proroguing Parliament, the Prime Minister, digging in, compares himself to the Incredible Hulk during an interview with the widely-circulated tabloid The Daily Mail.
“[Bruce] Banner might be bound in manacles, but when provoked he would explode out of them,” he said, channeling the immense though chaotic and destructive strength of the comic book character. “The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.” EU officials counter that the comparison belies a lack of maturity, even by Trumpian standards, more pitiable than intimidating. The UK will reject further Brexit delays. Hulk smash!

rip ric osasek (*1944 - †2019)

cfc

Despite far less consensus and surety regarding the exact culprit among the scientific community compared to the unity that we have for anthropogenic climate change today, the world’s nations unilaterally came together to draft and enforce a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the outcome of a convention held in Montreal which became an international and universal priority on this day in 1987.
Depletion of atmospheric ozone first discovered and researched, with its grave implications limned and communicated during the intervening years, within just a little more than fourteen years public and political will aligned and overcame deniers and those in impacted industries—aerosol and cooling, with a managed phase-out of the most harmful compounds that fostered willing partnerships and commitments for reform. Among the few environmental success stories to hold up as examples of what we can achieve (though we should also be vigilant to avoid losing those gains and there’s unfinished business yet), human change has allowed the ozone layer to repair and replenish itself.