courage under fire

Noted sophist and US Federal Communications Commission industry shill who is amazingly foremost contender for individual with the most punchable face (and that says a lot) out of a corrupt, nihilistic regime including Trump and his wastrel spawn, Ajit Pai, was just awarded a prize firearm by the National Rifle Association for doing the organisation’s bidding and permitting them to forward their agenda with his repeal of the protections of afforded under Net Neutrality.
How allowing the propaganda of the highest bidder outshout the rest of the internet increases America’s freedom is a bit of a mystery but as US domestic policy is a domestic issue, I guess we don’t need to wade too far into the fray even though this signals something far more sinister that slower, more expensive internet access where prolefeed is only content on offer. Of course, this is not the most heinous thing that the commissioner nor the NRA has done today surely and others in the administration have earned and been bestowed with such prizes—which by their acceptance, tacit or otherwise, demonstrate that the only thing easier to buy than a gun in America is an elected politician and the political appointees meant to uphold the public value of the agencies that they chair.

fairy lamp

Researchers in Japan, as Slashdot reports, have developed tiny electronic diodes that float in the air, riding ultrasonic sound waves. The darting points of light, because of their resemblance to fireflies, have been named Luciola after the native family of flashing insects and their quiet agility masks some serious decibels of sound holding them aloft and orchestrating their movement—albeit above the range of the human ear and could in the near future appear in applications from mobile holographic displays to projection mapping.

demographics

Via Coudal Partners, we’re shown what the state flags of America ought to look like based on the cardinal points of Big Data: a sliding, evolving representation of the categories of population, housing, economy and education. Olivia Johnson’s experiment in True Colors produce banners that are static symbols (nor are they uniquely American) and will change with improving or declining relative socio-economic conditions and are made to be viewed comparatively and not in isolation. Learn about the design decisions and methodology that went into this project and discover more of Ms Johnson’s portfolio at the links above.

daisy, daisy give me your answer do

Though we may be acquainted with tandem variety of a bicycle built for two where the cyclists are positioned fore and aft but we were hitherto unfamiliar with an alternative configuration known as the Sociable or the Side-by-Side (das Nebeneinandem).
Historically employed as a courtship vehicle, the design is credited by some to Australian sportsman, engineer and politician Sir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman, who incidentally was the object of international disdain after garnering the reputation as a cheater for doping for his trials in the Tour la France and other feats of endurance, heralded in the press with the saying “un beau mentir qui vient de loin,” a good lie comes from a great distance. Though always maintaining that “there is no sporting prize worth the use of drugs or stimulants,” Opperman competed at a time when the practise was endemic and an assist for a truly heroic effort was generally a forgivable offense. One’s intent could also be misconstrued when sporting such a contraption. I wonder if it was possible for some cad to going cruising and operate the craft solo—or if a willing partner was required to propel it.

oh say did you know?

The notoriously difficult for non-professional singers to assay US national anthem, the Defense of Fort McHenry reflagged as “The Star-Spangled Banner” when it was adopted in 1931 after a few failed attempts and vigorous rallying, finally shamed into passing a bill when cartoonist and sideshow act curator Robert L Ripley entered the debate was not only translated into German to attract recruits for the Union’s war effort during the US Civil War (and several other languages subsequently), that an upset poet and polymath, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Senior added a fifth stanza in protest.

First—here is the former, as hinted at, Das Star-Spangled Banner (not a literal translation and note the old spellings):

O! sagt, könnt ihr seh’n in des Morgenroths Strahl,
Was so stolz wir im scheidenden Ubendroth grüßten?
Die Sterne, die Streifen, die wehend vom Wall,
Im tödtlichen Kampf uns den Unblickt verfüßten?
Hoch flattere die Fahne in herrlicher Pracht,
Beim Leuchten der Bomben durch dunkle Racht.
O! sagt, ob das Banner, mit Sternen befä’t,
Ueber’m Lande der Freien und Braven noch weht?

Vom Strand aus zu seh’n durch die Nebel der See,
Wo Feindes Schaar ruhet in drohendem Schweigen,
Was ist’s das die Wind’ auf befestiger Höh’
Mit neckebdem Weh’n bald verhüllen, bald zeigen?
Jetzt faßt es der Sonne hell leuchtenden Strahl,
 Jetzt scheint es vom Berge, jetzt weht’s ueber’s Thal.
O! es ist ja das Banner mit Sternen befä’t,
Das ueber’m Lande der Freien und Braven noch weht.




Und wo ist die Band’, die verwegentlich schwor,
Dass die Gräuel des Krieges, das Wüthen der Schlachten,
Sollt’ rauben uns Heimath und Vaterlands Flor?
Ihr Herzblut bezahle das frevelnde Trachten.
Keine Gnade noch Schonung für Herr und für Knecht,
Nur Tod sei die Loosung, dann sind wir gerächt.
Und siegreich das Banner mit Sternen besä’t,
Ueber’m Lande der Freien und Braven noch weh’t.

Und wo die Männer für Freiheit und Vaterland
Vereinigt stehn, Da sende von Oben,
Den Kämpfern errettend die mächtige Hand,
Die Freien, die müssen den Vater dort loben.
Gerecht ist die Sache, auf Gott wir vertrau’n.
D'rum sei die Loosung, auf ihn wir fest bau’n
Und siegreich das Banner, mit Sternen besä’t,
Ueber’m Lande der Freien und Braven noch weht.

Holmes’ contribution is not echoed in the German lyric sheet:

When our land is illumined with Liberty’s smile,
If a foe from within strike a blow at her glory,
Down, down with the traitor that dares to defile
The flag of her stars and the page of her story!
By the millions unchained who our birthright have gained,
We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained!
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
While the land of the free is the home of the brave.

After the cessation in fighting, this stanza was dropped but German-speaking (or whatever was appropriate for their immigration background) school children continued to sing the above version in class until the outbreak of World War I.

Play ball!