heightened suggestibility

Serial candidate and one-time presidential contender Nick Belluso, whilst in a gubernatorial run-off for the state of Georgia in 1978 (incumbent George Busbee and Atlanta alderman Rodney Mims Cook Senior had secured the backing of the major political parties), had the notion to employ a hypnotist to secure his votes. Despite the claim his candidacy was endorsed by the Force, Belluso’s plot was stymied when all television stations except one outlet refused to air his mesmerising advertisement for fear it might work and the resulting culpability. Learn more and see the campaign ad at the link above.

felis silvestris

Scheduled to be bringing a cat into our lives soon, our gratitude goes to the always brilliant Nag on the Lake for bringing us word of Baloo the feline who retrieves outstanding leaves for his human. We don’t wish to countermand Nature or the instincts of our future companion but I did harbour worries, living at the edge of a forest, about the detrimental effect that introducing a domestic hunter might have on local wildlife but seeing that a cat can curb and re-direct their energies towards being a leaf-peeper or even  a rock-hound is a pretty exciting prospect.

o grave new world

A collective of guerrilla artists, Hyperallergic reports, under cover of darkness over the weekend consecrated the casualties of the Trump regime’s first year in office on the property of Trump’s own New Jersey golf course—a place where he expressed the wish to be ultimately laid to rest—with tombstones marking the demise of things like Decency and the Last Snowman, over his decision to go against the rest of the world’s commitment to combat climate change, with fitting epitaphs. No one condones trespassing but the mayor of Bedminster did not seem too concerned, saying the act was more mischief than vandalism.

they call me mellow-yellow (quite rightly)

The Atlantic showcases the latest episode of Gastropod which explores the hidden history behind the prized spice saffron. Attaining the reputation of a panacea and versatile staple cosmetic—and taking on tranquillising, addictive properties in large enough quantities, most of the world’s supply comes from Iran but for a period in the sixteenth century England was sourcing its own and the episode goes on report on one individual’s efforts to revive saffron cultivation in the country.

6x6

kommandozentrale 5001: Berlin’s newest techno music fest to be held in a Cold War-era bunker

concrete jungle: a tour of the photogenic Quarry Bay residential compound of Hong Kong

a bridge too far: Northern Ireland proposes a crossing to Scotland in response to the UK Foreign Minister’s suggest spanning the English Channel and linking England to Normandy

overclock: sounds can be passively recovered from video footage of subtle vibrations

humanity star: a private rocketry company secretly launches a temporary piece of art to inspire us to keep looking up

green blood, green women: in anticipation of his possible directorial take on the film franchise, Boing Boing shares a trailer of the original series cut in the style of Quentin Tarantino

stone-hearted local man scrolls past jesus meme without sharing

Via Dave Log v. 3.0, we are directed to the Babylon Bee, one’s most trusted news source for Christian satire, and quite enjoyed browsing through the headlines. Some of our best friends are Christians, so please don’t misconstrue our sentiments but, Christ, save us from Your followers—or, especially pertinent now as evangelicals and holy-rollers are seeming rather hollow and insincere at the moment, as one wise person once quipped “Canon Jesus is better than Fandom Jesus.” Amen.

house of the gavins

Daily Dot reports that Botnik studios have conducted an experiment with its neural network, tasking it to invent plausible-sound indie band names for the line-up an upcoming real music and arts festival held in the Inland Empire of Southern California. Having come across some improbably titled groups ourselves and with the knowledge the computer system was drawing off a data set of real-world opening acts, I am sure that we will soon be hearing the release of the first album from Bing the Bung or we see Otherfax headlining for Dinotot.

lathe of heaven

Our gratitude to Boing Boing for bringing to our attention sad news of the passing of one of our favourite authors, influential and inspiring writer of speculative fiction writer Ursula Kroeber Le Guin. Raised by anthropologists who fostered her talents, Le Guin’s body of works addresses matters of sociology, ethnography, psychology and conservation as allegorical exercises not only of the fantastic but also of the political and identitarian imagination, making a distinct impression on many readers and fellow writers. Surely she had many more stories to tell and we hope that more take this opportunity to revisit or to discover her novels.