An investigator-in-training examining one of the Nutshell Studies for the first time would not necessarily know what to look for and where the significant clues lie but the intricate little tragedies who hopefully keep him engaged and thinking critically and maybe learn to appreciate how everything may not be what it seems and that everything was not an open-and-shut case. Be sure and visit the links above to see more of the dioramas and find out details for their upcoming exhibition.
Failing to pass any meaningful or positive legislation, the nihilistic regime of Dear Dotard has advanced a tranche of legislation that privileges religious conviction (or at least the claim, pretense thereof as the expanded language no longer requires that an employer or service-provider have a stated religious purpose) as promised—this is the nightmare that we choose—over not just laws offering protections to employees aimed at reducing discrimination and increasing equal employment rights but woefully also over women’s health and reproductive choices, education, marriage equality to include miscegenation laws, economic opportunities and community health—as it’s surely designed to allow parents to opt out of vaccinating their children too.
This false dichotomy of pitting lifestyle choices, identity and, yes—this is what we’ve returned to, women’s health against religious adiaphora (no central article of faith is based on hate and fear) and is of course the same sort of culture war that propelled these miseries to high office and will make it impossible to dislodge the criminal syndicate any time soon. How far backward could we go? Previously, it was possible for objectors of certain provisions provided in health
care coverage to argue their case to the government and secure the right
to be exempted from the requirement but the process was public with due
controls—but under the relaxed rules, corporations can distance
themselves from the controversial, bothersome or potential costly just
by asserting its stance to its insured staff with no requirement to
notify state or federal authorities. It’s easy to tease out trepidation and hatred and no force of law is required but the one manoeuvre underlying both the attack and roll-back of gay and women’s rights is what’s known as the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 addition to the US tax code that prohibits non-profit organisations—like churches and charities—from endorsing or opposing political candidates at the peril of losing their tax exempt status. This key component in the separation of church and state was recommended and adopted without controversy by then Texas senator Lyndon Baines Johnson and remained as something sacrosanct until it all of a sudden wasn’t and came under assault after a Rose Garden speech back in May, pandering to religious conservatives. Using the same argument that restricting their religious expression to vote as a congregational bloc infringes on their fundamental freedoms, the White House has essentially eviscerated the intent of the regulation by directing agencies of the executive to not enforce it any differently than it would against a secular (profane) entity in so far as taking sides.
Ultimately sourced to the public affairs office of an aluminium manufacturer and required reading for all who matriculated through the agency, thanks to the CIA CREST scheduled releases to the public domain after fifty years the slim forty page, mimeographed volume on the intelligence service’s guide to semantics intersecting with proxemics, forensics and profiling through achieving clarity in communication and effective inquiry. The brochure in its entirety is available over at Muckrock and though somewhat dated still offers time-tested methods for recognising and deflecting fake news with means-testing that seems obvious but is something we’ve conveniently forgotten. The evergreen lament that “too much government is bad for business” is deconstructed through semiosis—offering that you will probably garner some enemies, at least temporarily rather than disabusing anyone—but some basic clarifying questions should be put to that rather meaningless (for the target) assertion.
While I try to ignore the boorish antics of Dear Dotard for as long as I can manage, the time in between one transgression that can’t be ignored until the next insult is galloping in frequency.
Given the fact that a majority of Puerto Ricans are still without essential services not to mention reliable internet connectivity, maybe the reaction to Trump’s reluctant visit to the island territory was somewhat muted (it’s just like making fun of the Amish, you Sh*t Gibbon), the game show, carnival-barker atmosphere was far more surreal than I could imagine. After calling-out the island’s indebtedness again, praising their optimal weather excepting the recent hurricane and saying that the number of casualties were acceptable given the scope of the storm, the humanitarian took it upon himself to distribute aide by lobbing paper-towels at the assembled crowd. No one should be allowed to forget that this is the nightmare we choose (no matter how we were influenced should we be tolerant or complacent) and that actions have consequences.
The visionary director’s graphic output was prolific, ranging from this frieze humorously depicting the start of the Trojan War to a dehumanising series called Idolatry inspired by events Eisenstein witnessed in Moscow during the terrors at the height of Stalinism, but was mostly unknown and went largely unacknowledged. The upcoming publication of a curated collection of his artworks called Eisenstein on Paper—with a foreword by Martin Scorsese—is attempting to remedy this oversight. Be sure to visit the link up top to learn more about Eisenstein’s career and legacy.
Amusing Planet educates us about an unusual geological formation that occurs in South Tyrol in the hinterlands of Bolzano, Rifiano and Merano called earth pyramids (piramidi di terra in Alto Adige, Sรผdtiroler Erdpyramiden).
These tall pillars formed out of the moraine clay deposited by retreating glaciers during the last Ice Age and regularly alternating periods of drought and torrential rains that wash the soil away. The boulders atop these spindly, precarious-looking structures prevent the soil directly underneath from being eroded away, and especially in sheltered Puster (Pusteria) and Toblach (Dobbiaco) valleys where they are protected from the wind make some truly outstanding scenery. The spiky confection is a Swiss product and has a different inspiration—a portmanteau of the creator’s name (Theodore Tobler) and a type of Italian nougat whose shape is meant to recall the Matterhorn (Il Cervino). I think we will definitely need to make a special detour on our next trip south to marvel at these uniquely frozen landslides.
