merrily we roll along

Our faithful chronicler, Doctor Caligari, informs that among the notable events that have occurred on this day, considered the first day of the new year from Roman times onwards—the hints of Spring coming being a natural point for new beginnings, in 1946 the Castle Bravo hydrogen bomb was detonated on the island known afterwards a Bikini Atoll, in 1971 the Weather Underground detonated a bomb in a restroom in the US Capitol, and in 1978 two ransomers kidnapped the corpse of Charlie Chaplin. Incidentally, in case you’re new to the site, the number at the bottom of recent entries is a countdown until the next opportunity to unseat Dear Leader democratically.

oui on peut

There’s an active campaign to encourage Barack Obama to stand in France’s up-coming, contentious election that’s garnered an impressive amount of support, considering that Obama, not being a French citizen, could not actually be appointed to high-office. I recall after Bill Clinton left the White House, there was the same suggestion, although in that case, it was a bit more within the realm of possibility. Being a native of Arkansas, one of the territorial gains of the US from the Louisiana Purchase, Clinton could have actually run and serve if elected, as can citizens of former colonies—and no, Kenya was under the yoke of Imperial German and Britain.

muni-fi or mind the gap

Before legislation was introduced in Germany that made owners of unsecured WiFi liable for the actions (the moral panic of piracy mostly) of anonymous users, I remember that public internet or neighbours having unsecured internet connections that one could glom on to was fairly common-place, but for the past several years it’s becoming more and more rare.
Even in cafes and hotels, it’s rarely offered or even available. Law-makers are now, however, considering overturning this rule (DE/EN) and declare that individuals and businesses with open-access cannot be held to be responsible for the conduct of every passer-by. The goal of this change of mind is to bring the country up to speed with its neighbours (whom are making greater strides) when it comes to levelling the digital-divide (Digitale-Kluft) by making free internet more widely available and encouraging neighbourhoods to unlock their connections again.  Data and volume have grown remarkably cheaper, but for those without means, those costs, nominal as they are, are still dear.

logotype

Via Kottke, we introduced to a comprehensive graphic design resource, Logobook, that has collected and meticulously categorised over five thousand imprints, emblems, and symbols.
They’re overwhelmed with an embarrassment of submissions but will eventually be taking the ideas of individuals to add to their catalogue. In an age where everything can be filed under miscellaneous, we especially appreciated the specificity of the search parameters that’s sure to make it effortless to build the right cohesive corporate image.

7x7

cabin-brew: brewery formulates a beer that’s optimised for enjoyment whilst flying

dynamo: the Earth core and magnetic field is powered by the crystallization of silicon dioxide

faster empire, strike, strike: a clever fan made a modern trailer for Star Wars Episode V

the night Chicago died: the story of how angry white men tried to destroy disco

lift every voice and sing: the lost, forgotten artwork of Augusta Savage

wiphala: the strikingly colourful mansions of La Paz

momofuku: a visit to the Cup Noodles museum in Japan

long ambients

We here at PfRC are celebrating the milestone of our four-thousandth post—this episode informed by the always excellent Nag on the Lake—with four hours of outtakes from musician and DJ Moby free to use however one sees fit. A year ago around this time, the artist arranged the unused riffs from other projects into an extended background ensemble that’s really an inducement for yoga, meditation or just rest and relaxation and active twilit dreaming.

the lay of the land or polders en meer

Having walked the streets of Amsterdam recently, it was interesting to read about the unique city’s long term landscaping plans.
Though not quite restoring the city to its golden age layout, civil engineers have a vision for 2020 of making the great arteries of commerce wider and deeper, more in keeping with the original urban design and more aligned with how the river wants to ebb and flow, by removing a lot of the concrete frontage that’s expanded around the city centre. In addition to enlarging select canals, there is also a colossal submerged bicycle parking-lot in the offering.

unquote or falsehood flies and the truth comes limping after

Recalling that fake news is not just any objective fact that challenges one’s world view and how the retraction is never as wide-spread as the misreporting, we are reminded of probably the most popular bits of folksy wisdom that war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill never said:
“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” While the sentiment might be in the right place, there’s no evidence of Churchill having ever uttered the like and he was definitely not the first to whom this phrase or variation was attributed—heroes and luminaries of days past credited with authorship of this quip from Mark Twain, to Thomas Jefferson, to a fortune cookie proverb, to Jonathan Swift. I think indulging in this sort of generational modishness is akin to using props and publicity stunts to forward one’s agenda, and besides there are plenty of very fine things that public figures did without a doubt say.  Its origins, so far as anyone can tell, are rooted in a 1787 homily by Rector Thomas Francklin: “Falsehood will fly, as it were, on the wings of the wind, and carry its tales to every corner of the Earth; whilst truth lags behind; her steps, though sure, are slow and solemn, and she has neither vigour nor activity enough to pursue and overtake her enemy.”