thunderbirds are go!

Messy Nessy Chic delivers an amazing appreciation of the universe of Supermarionation, conceived by puppeteers Sylvia and Gerry Anderson, whose sets and scenery are truly something to behold even if one might dismiss the preternatural uncanniness of the cast, marionettes whose faces referenced contemporary celebrities.
Spanning several stand-alone series and broadcast throughout the 1960s and later in syndication and homage, one iteration became the first television programme in the UK filmed entirely in colour and Thunderbirds itself, considered the most commercially successful series of the genre, enjoyed a merchandising success unrivaled until that of Star Wars. Visit the link above to learn more and to see more clips of the shows.

lodestar or ship of state

Nearly as good as when fired FBI director James Comey projected rather arch dialogue, quite generously, into the head of Trump, the anonymous contributor of a New York Times editorial piece, whom everyone wants to identify, peppered his missive with some distinct language including the term lodestar, figuratively, an individual who serves as a role model or guide—referencing the loss of John McCain but the endurance of his example, which may help reveal authorship.
Speculation does not even discount the possibility that it might be the viceroy Pence himself, having used the word on several occasions. Ironic were it true, the apparent courage of conviction that Pence has for Trump’s pandering policies is probably the one thing preventing the legislator from moving towards impeachment since it would mean the ascendancy of this or another creatures of Trump’s court and perhaps there’s evidence forthcoming damning enough (and incontrovertible enough) to not just impeach but annul this regime and every thing it’s undone.

6x6

au bout du fil: a surreal animated short by Paul Driessen from the National Film Board of Canada

busytown 2018: mansplainers and swamp drainers (previously), via Kottke

creative commons: potential changes to European Union’s intellectual property law could give rise to censorship machines and a link tax

off the wall: an analysis of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”

foremal: IKEA partners with Per B Sundberg to create a line of homewares with a gothic aesthetic

going up: researchers at Shizuoka University to conduct a proof of concept trial for a space elevator, via Slashdot 

kunst und kohle

A consortium of museums in Germany’s post-industrial heartland, das Ruhrgebiet (previously), is bidding a conflicted adieu to its withering coal-powered past.  Still the world’s largest producer of the particularly dirty variety of lignite (a very dubious honour) and amid ongoing protests to retire extraction and burning of coal altogether, the museums curate a fascinating, nostalgic reflection on the culture informed by coal towns and mining communities through a variety of artefacts that attest to working conditions and the relationships forged by the families whose daily routines included confronting mortality—either through accident or backbreaking labour. Read more about the retrospective of exhibits at Hyperallergic at the link above.