geodesy

The first of a pair of research satellite reflectors—LAGEOS, from Laser Geometric Environmental Observation Survey, was launched on this day in 1976 (the partner mission was launched in 1992) placing the aluminium covered brass sphere, dimpled and looking like an oversized golf ball, in an extremely stable orbit. The enduring experiment is designed to aid with satellite orientation and terrestrial distances with the highest precision available, due to their regular circumnavigation of the Earth.  Approaching the period of a natural satellite, these artificial moons are expected to remain in orbit for over eight million years and contain a time-capsule, message in a bottle (see previously) for future Earth civilizations once it does re-enter the atmosphere, fast-forwarding continental drift to show their expected arrangement at that point in the future as compared to the present and page Pangaea accompanied by a binary calendar with the launch date starting as year zero.

monotype

Default settings are an announcement to one’s audience and become the pervasive standard of least-resistance—as seen in the domineering notes, notices and presentations appearing in the pre-set font family of the Microsoft Office suite of products and so it was a welcome bit of news that the choice was not to be so much foisted on users or queued up in recently used—in the architecture of the programming—but rather would rather replace, unseat King Calibri (Lucas de Groot’s 2002 creation is a fine one but suffer from ubiquity) with a user-juried selection (albeit a self-selecting pool) with contenders including the symmetry-breaking Seaford from Tobias Frere-Jones, Grandview from Aaron Bell that is informed by older German roadway signage and the Mid-Century modern Bierstadt of Steven Matteson—namesake of a suburb of this other Deutsch font city.

fah ond fyrgeard ferhearde heold

Mentioned no fewer than five times in the contemporary Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf (previously) and with subsequent and comparable artefacts excavated in later years from the Sutton Hoo and other sites, the Benty Grange helmet found on this day in 1848 in an ancient mound burial site in a farm in Derbyshire was the first evidence of the well-attested seventh century boar-crested headgrear. The nose-to-nape band portrays a charging wild swine at the crown with an incipient cross inlay—this example of spangenhelm—that is, a segmented helmet of bone that’s since decayed away displays both Christian and pagan iconography and possibly captures a moment on the cusp when conversions were carried out by Irish missionaries. Apparently any faith tradition would do on the battlefield or against the scorn of Grendel’s mother.

information as a public good

The annual observance focused on the above theme, World Press Freedom Day was enshrined by the United Nations in 1998 as a time for reflection and remediation for governments to uphold their commitment to freedom of expression and an adversarial press and encourage journalists and media professionals to recount their struggles and pledge to truth and ethics in pursuit of reporting. The day falls on the anniversary of the forerunning Windhoek Declaration of 1991 when a consortium of newspaper reporters from all across Africa met in the Namibian capital resolved to promote an independent and pluralistic press for the continent. The Press Freedom Index is also updated at this time, ranking the ability for journalists to cover candidly government and corporate behaviour.

this is npr

With this day marking the first on-air original programming from Nation Public Radio a half-century ago after the previous year’s passage of the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act, NPR and its member stations reflect on and renew their unique mandate to serve and amplify a listening audience that mirrors the fullness and diversity of the United States. The network’s original mission statement charged and championed its affiliates as being the source for “information of consequence” that helps the celebrants of human experience be “enlightened participants” in society. All Things Considered was the first segment broadcasted.

o’zapft is!

Proposed by an events planner who helped organise German Weihnachtsmärkte and former Münchener restauranteur surely also hit hard by the pandemic and whom now resides in Dubai, the announcement that the emirate plans to host a version of Oktoberfest has drawn ire and confusion from the annual party’s venue city. Mirroring its namesake to an extent with beer tents, food concessions and carnival rides, the proposal calls for it being a pavilion of the World Expo and to last for six months rather than the customary two weeks in September. Last year’s festivities were cancelled due to corona, and though uncertainly it seems as if the coming autumn celebrations may also have to be postponed.

9x9

why are you still here: our houses get sick of us never leaving too—via Nag on the Lake’s Sunday Links (lots more to see here)  

fake id: the unfortunately inevitable rise of counterfeit vaccination credentials  

disaster girl: meme as NFT (previously) nets a half-million dollars at auction 

comically overwrought: an oral history of the Crying Dawson gif  

resident evil village: games company produced a musical, gory puppet show to promote its latest instalment  

sunshine state: Florida will make it illegal for social media to deplatform politicians, with a especial carve-out for Disney—via Slashdot  

euphonium: found poetry in the history of acoustic waves  

web curios: Waxy lets us know that the fine and well-connected newsletter returns after a sabbatical of nine months with the folding of Imperia   

windows on the world: artwork by Liam Cobb that fills one with Wanderlust—via the morning news

пе́тя и волк

The symphonic fairy tale by Sergei Prokofiev that introduces young people to the instrumental sections of the orchestra while extolling the virtues of Soviet bravery and boldness and daring to question the dictums of the past generation (embodied in the scolding character of Grandfather) had it premier on this day at the Moscow Philharmonic in 1936. Later in the month, a much better attended performance took place at the Pioneers’ Palace, Peter being a member of this youth scouting organisation. Peter protects his animal friends (except for the duck—that is) as well as tames a fierce wolf with their help and working as a team. A 2003 recording with narration from Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Clinton and Sophia Loren won a Grammy for best spoken-word album.