tycho magnetic anomaly

The recent buzz about the discovery of a mysterious yet most likely of mundane origins of a metal monolith in the desert of Utah that channels in a sense the cinematic titan of 2001 made me think about this smaller though also puzzling concrete post I encountered during a walk in the woods last week. 

It’s in a clearing where some trees were recently felled for lumber. Though just off a logging trail, there’s nothing else nearby and no other signs of construction. The blue bit embedded seems to be the pontil marked base of a cobalt glass bottle. I wonder what it could be for or why it was placed there—I’ll have to keep an eye on this one. 

 

the mousetrap

The murder mystery stage play by Agatha Christie debuted on this day in 1952 in London’s West End and ran continually until 16 March 2020, temporarily sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the work first presented as a radio drama as a birthday present for Queen Mary in 1947 under the title Three Blind Mice. The author had requested, due to its twist ending that theatre audiences are asked not to divulge—that the short story not be published, nor adapted as a film, until it was off the West End, a wish that has been respected all these years.

barn-burners

Horrifically on this day in 1864, a group of southern operatives that infiltrated union territory by way of Canada, calling themselves the Confederate Army of Manhattan, with a plan to burn down New York City, by simultaneously starting fires in nineteen prominent hotels in all boroughs, a theatre and P.T. Barnum’s American Museum (presently Wall Street). The arsonists hoped that the number and distribution of the fires would overwhelm emergency services and chose the date for its symbolic significance, it being remembered as Evacuation Day when British troops had left the city in 1783 and General George Washington advanced with the Continental Army to reclaim Manhattan (with some legendary license and myth-making of course), having surrendered it to British forces in November 1776. Fortunately, over-confident with their plan and underestimating New York, all the fires failed to spread or were summarily contained and the operatives fled, all but one escaping prosecution for this dangerous and incendiary behaviour.

merrymount and misrule

Whilst the stereotypical view of the pilgrim settlers of New England as stern and dour religious fanatics the espoused entitlement and supremacy is largely deserved and echoed throughout history and circumstance doesn’t change with the exception, it was quite heartening to read this essay from Ed Simon regarding a counter-cultural, even subversive element to our traditional colonialists. Lawyer, author and social reformer Thomas Morton (*1579 – †1647) founded a colony in present day Quincy, Massachusetts based on utopian ideals, freedom of thought and Bohemian (some would characterise it as Bacchanalian) way of life and integrating with the aboriginal population that was a firm repudiation of Puritanism and their practises. Unfortunately Moron’s alternative (not perfect but certainly preferable) was not allowed to thrive by Plymouth (they seemed to be especially preoccupied and judgmental over Morton frolicking around a Maypole), hoping to retain a monopoly on fur and tobacco trade enforced through religious heterodoxy. Learn more at Public Domain Review at the link above.

this x does not exist

A catchall snowclone for all the passingly convincing artifices that artificial intelligence can generate, this website—via the always interesting and authentic Things Magazine—aggregates various platforms specialising in showcasing one synthetic feline, real estate, memes, business start-up, equine, etc.—a few we’ve encountered beforehand (see previously here, here and here) and were responsible for creating a few virtual non-beings. 

 

straw-poll

As NPR reports, though rather burying the lede, impeached and ousted Trump will be performing the strange and storied ritual of pardoning a turkey (see previously) for Thanksgiving—sponsored by the anti-tofurky lobby—presenting a poll to the public asking whom out of Corn and Cob ought to be granted clemency. Though not one to eat his words, even over this bizarre and addle-brained tradition, there was a similar ballot in 2018—in the wake of the mid-term elections with the contest between Peas and Carrots—in which Trump attacked Carrots the turkey for refusing to concede despite having clearly lost. Fifty-six days, twenty-two hours.

play mstie for me

As our faithful chronicler reminds, on this day—Thanksgiving in the US, in 1988 (see previously) Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered on a Minneapolis local channel, the premise making the programme akin to a pirate radio station broadcasting from orbit, with their lampooning of Invaders from the Deep (filmed in Supermarionation) then followed by episode two, Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars.

words of an unprecedented year

Whereas in times past, the Oxford English Dictionary nominated one representative term to sum up the Zeitgeist, lexicographers due to the dread fullness of 2020 could not settle one word and instead have underscored dozens encompassing the pandemic, changed social norms, civil unrest, disinformation and systemic racism. Read the whole report and get some insight into the research and vetting process at the link up top.