engine, engine forty-nine (13. 014)

Finding some needed solace in the writings of Thomas Pynchon during the rise of MAGAists’ conspiracy theories in the figure of Oepida Maas, Better Living through Beowulf, now has to question like the protagonist of their own sanity whilst weaving together a plot that beggars belief, which seems a bit rudimentary in comparison to Trump’s own arc of narrative. The paranoia of The Crying of Lot 49 has a veneer of truth (see above) and so does the career-trajectory of Trump, framed as agent Krasnov, promulgated as a successful businessman now beholden to organised crime with a litany of knock-on events that lead to our present conundrum, whose nomenclature matches with Genghis Coen, Mike Falloopian, Mucho Maas (the heroine’s DJ husband) and Dr Hilarius with corresponding real-life characters unmatched nearly six decades on with corresponding Dickensian-named figures like heroes Reality Winner and villains Laura Loomer, Elon Musk or Reince Priebus and the White House lawn used as a venue for a wrestling match plus a list of dozens of other things not on ones bingo card for 2025.

ys (13. 014)

Via Strange Company, we learn that a substantial undersea wall discovered by marine archeologists off the coast of the Île de Sein near Finstère in Bretagne—which has its own lore according to classical sources and historians, including Strabo, writing that men were forbidden on the island sacred to the Gallizenae, a caste of Druid priestesses whom could control the wind and foretell the future, but also accused of luring sailors to the their deaths, bashed on the rocky cliffs. Researchers believe that the seven millennia old wall may have been a fish-trap to harvest between tides that became submerged or possibly a protective dyke (though unlikely that humans could have forward-planning) and abandoned with sea-level rise, and pre-dating the ensemble of menhirs of the area, may be behind the legend of the sunken kingdom of Ys.

synchronoptica

one year ago: the year in memes (with synchronopticæ), the first European communications satellite plus US federal government narrowly averts a shutdown 

fourteen years ago: a chilli recipe plus Christmas markets

fifteen years ago: Alien Jesus 

seventeen years ago: a remembrance of my grandmother

 

exit through the gift shop (13. 013)

Via MetaFilter—and wishing we’d known about it sooner, we really enjoyed this assortment of holiday offerings from the Heritage Trust operated system of museums and historical sites, including an array of Christmas jumpers (read ugly sweaters, I suppose, like this one from the transportation authority with their range of mass transit and roundels) and tree ornaments inspired by their properties and collections. We’ll need to bookmark this for next year and really liked the nautical-engineering contribution for Brunel and the chessman bauble.

as a student of history, many were written directly by the president himself (13. 012)

Dubbed the walk of fame, the colonnade of the White House communicating between the executive residence and West Wing and passing the paved-over rose garden, designed by Trump in September, inspired by a similar concept he’d seen whilst staying at a hotel, was finished recently with the gallery open to inspection by visitors and journalists with the addition of bronze plaques, reportedly dictated by the US president, reflecting his personal and political assessments of predecessors. Barack Obama is captioned as one of the most divisive political figures in US history with his “unaffordable” care act, accession to the Paris Climate accords, personal responsibility for the spread of the ISIS caliphate and repeats the conspiracy theories that he was spying on Trump’s campaign through the microwave; though credited with the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, George W Bush is criticised for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Clinton’s includes blaming Republicans to the legislative success of his agenda and mentions Hillary’s lost to Trump; and Reagan’s entry, full of praise, cites that he was a fan of “President Donald J Trump” long before his political career began. The most vitriol is directed to Joe Biden, repeating claims of a stolen election and labelling him as the worst president in history, replete with exclamation marks.

sign of the times (13.011)

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation has announced its character of the year as 熊 (kuma, bear) for the surge in ursine encounters nationwide. Other trending logograms under consideration were were 米—rice, bei/kome—citing inflation in the price of the staple and general anxiety over stockpiles, exacerbated by tariffs, a homophone. As in past years (see previously below for more), the winner is unveiled before the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, writing the character in large calligraphy by the chief priest.

synchronoptica

one year ago: Chinese buzzwords of the year (with synchronopticæ), kanji character of the year plus the first purpose-built communications satellite (1958)

twelve years ago: regrettable legal precedence plus canine translators

thirteen years ago: counter-narratives on internet regulation 

fifteen years ago: seasonal weather 

sixteen years ago: contemplating a Christmas canival 

gelt (13. 010)

During a Hanukkah reception held at the White House, Trump invited Israeli-American mega-donor Miriam Adelson, widow of billionaire businessman, serial entrepreneur and casino and media magnate Sheldon Adelson whom was already the president’s largest single benefactor for his 2016 and 2020 campaigns and established a legal defence fund to shield Trump from fallout during the Mueller investigation, to join him on the dais, saying that when someone can give you a quarter of a billion dollars, “I think that we should give her the opportunity to say hello”—echoing the same sentiment nearly verbatim he said of Elon Musk during his re-election. Though constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, it’s hardly been a prohibition that he’s flaunted all along, and Trump intimated (with ample enough, indirect corroboration) that the generous two-hundred and fifty million dollar contribution would go toward his 2028 campaign, prompting riotous cheers from the assembled guest of four more years. Even if this horror of a moribund leader, like Israel had with prime minister emeritus Ariel Sharon, were to come to pass, with a very pliant supreme court and still time for a constitutional amendment—or convention, and as this gift, bribe (a relatively low one as the president’s a cheap date) or election is being directed towards a political war-chest for a future run that at present against the law, regulation on campaign finance funding do not apply and can be used however the committee sees fit, redistributing to other races or used personally to enrich the Trump estate.

talk to me (13. 009)

DJ Earworm (previously), aka Jordan Roseman of San Francisco, presents his annual United State of Pop in a quite longstanding and well established, since 2007, tradition of mashing-up the most vaunted albums of the year. And whilst admitting I must have aged out of the top-twenty for some time now—and recognised zero percent of these songs but a few of the artists, I appreciate the artistry of the precise mixing and sampling of contemporary culture as a hook to make me want to find out more.

*    *    *    *    *

synchronoptica

one year ago: Chinese names and the challenges of Romanisation (with synchronopticæ), a survey of superyachts plus euro coins starter packets

twelve years ago: the evolution of Santa Claus plus holiday long-distance commercials

thirteen years ago: the coat of arms for Frankfurt am Main 

sixteen years ago: ring-fatigue 

objective unclear (13. 008)

Via Quantum of Solazzo’s latest data-driven newsletter, we are referred to this rather impressive planespotting application, which drawing telemetry from various sources, shows airplanes crossing the skies rendered on a 3D map in real time at the location of one’s choosing. Of course one’s experience will depend on factors like whereabouts and time of day but even for fly-over country, one can zoom out with Airloom and click on an aircraft to get information on the flight number, origin, destination, carrier and make and model—and virtually travel to any hub to monitor arrivals and departures as planes weave a network overhead.