katexic, Author at Katexic Clippings (ARCHIVE)

parergon

parergon · /pə-RƏR-gawn/ · /pəˈrə:gɒn/. noun. An ornamental accesssory; a byproduct; a piece of writing that is subsidiary to another work; work in addition to one’s primary employment. From Greek para (beside, beyond) + ergon (work). See also: opuscule.

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Links: May 17, 2020

An old thread, but a goodie → What is a piece of writing, on the internet (i.e. not a book), that you return to or at least consider foundational? ※ One of my picks: this pair by Allie Brosh, aka Hyperbole and a Half: Adventures in Depression + Depression Part Two. PS. Wherever you are, Allie Brosh, I hope you are well.
“Gaming the lottery seemed as good a retirement plan as any…” → Jerry and Marge Go Large
I had no idea tamales were a Mississippi Delta fixture. → How the humble tamale came to represent a region and its people. ※ I was aware of this concoction at the other end of the taste spectrum, but not the story behind it: The Creator of Sandra Lee’s Kwanzaa Cake Confesses. ※ And, while on food (or should I say “food”?): I Made Ranch Gummy Bears And You Should Too.
I can’t tell if this is satire or not. Or if that makes it better or worse. → Christians Against Dinosaurs
“A collection of good news, positive trends, uplifting statistics and facts — all beautifully visualized by Information is Beautiful.” → Beautiful News. ※ See also, an online magazine founded by David Byrne (yes, that David Byrne): Reasons to Be Cheerful, “A self help magazine for people who hate self help magazines.”
One of the more interesting profiles of an almost accidental, definitely weird, celebrity I’ve read → What Happened to Val Kilmer? He’s Just Starting to Figure It Out. ※ A fantastic profile of an underrated musician: The Weirdly Enduring Appeal of Weird Al Yankovic.
From the Clamor to your ears → Sweet Music Comes Across the Sky interprets the songs of Thomas Pynchon (Thanks, Reader S.) ※ Apocalypse Grooves maps Coronavirus proteins to sounds (Thanks, Reader B.).
A fun exploit of font ligatures → Scunthorpe Sans “censors bad language automatically,” kind of. ※ You do know about the Scunthorpe Problem, right?
I can’t resist a snail mail campaign for something good. Nor should you. → 18 Million Thanks
Today in 1866, composer and pianist Erik Satie is born in London. Satie, smarting from being called a “clumsy but subtle technician,” began calling himself a phonometrician or gymnopedist. The latter word, coined by Satie, was perhaps an oblique reference to the ancient Greek festival (or dance) called the Gymnopaedia. Whatever the origins, Satie would soon write the composition he is best known for, the ► Gymnopédies (which you will surely recognize). ¶ Satie was a bit…different. Among other eccentricities, Satie claimed to live on a diet of white food, hoarded umbrellas, carried a hammer for protection, stacked two grand pianos on top of each other in his flat (using the top for correspondence), founded his own religion, and composed pieces like “Vexations,” a piece intended to be played 840 times in succession. Satie’s influence was significant, particularly on experimental artists like John Cage and minimalists like Steve Reich. Satie’s years of heavy drinking—including a fondness for absinthe—took their toll, and he would die at just 59. ※ Listen to Satie’s ► Gnossiennes, beautiful pieces that remind me of a modernist Chopin. ※ Watch the documentary Erik Satie: Things Seen to the Right and the Left. ※ Listen to Gnossiennes No. 1 Forever, a composition that uses Markov Chains to create an endless version of this beautiful piece. ※ Listen to every recording of Gymnopedie No. 1 at the same time. ※ Listen to the complete “Vexations” (clocks in at nearly 10 hours).

Baby Elephant Finds New Human Parents

► Traumatized Baby Elephants Find New Human Parents

The Exciting of Trains

► The Exciting of Trains reminds me of the ridiculous vintage 16mm films we used to dig up in the ancient film library, but even funnier.

Music and Poetry (Honoré de Balzac)

Believe me, in painting his Saint-Cecilia, Raphael gave the preference to music over poetry. And he was right; music appeals to the heart, whereas writing is addressed to the intellect; it communicates ideas directly, like a perfume.
—Honoré de Balzac (translated by Clara Bell & James Waring)
—from “Massimilla Doni” (1837)

chrestomathy

chrestomathy · /kreh-STAHM-ə-thee/ · /krɛsˈtɒməθɪ/. noun. A collection of choice literary passages, most often by a single author, and moste often to assist in learning a foreign language. From Greek khrēstos (useful) + mathein (to learn); from PIE root mendh- (to learn). See also: chrestomathic.

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Links: May 10, 2020

Don’t let the mundane title fool you…this flip book is stupendous, dark and beautiful. Thanks, Reader S. → I made a really big flip book during quarantine ※ Flipbook Gangnam Style -vs- Psy Gangnam Style
At the always entertaining Strong Language, the curious history of the Sofa King. → It’s Sofa King famous!
“It didn’t occur to any of them to bring a map, let alone a compass.” → The real Lord of the Flies: what happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months ※ ► Golding’s Introduction to Lord of the Flies
“…a single player iPad game where players help NASA classify coral reefs…” → NeMO-Net
The Pudding has been on fire lately. Take a musical quiz because it’s interesting, and contribute to identifying “generational gaps in music” at the same time. Also, I totally have Gen-Zers beat when it comes to recognizing Taylor Dane. → Music Challenge
The uplifting story of Emerson, age 11, and her mail carrier, Doug. Also, if you’re an American, support the USPS! → Emerson and Mail Carrier Doug. ※ Instead of Killing the US Postal System, Let’s Expand It
Reader P. says, “Apparently this is a real thing.” → Jean-Michel Basquiat Barbie ※ Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines virtual exhibit
I agree with Reader B. that some of these are really good! → A thread of user-made Penguin Classics covers. ※ The Penguin (or Oxford World) Classics Cover Generator.
Maybe? → It’s time to take UFOs seriously. Seriously.
Today in 2003, as an entry in its ongoing (since June 20, 1995!) Astronomy Picture of the Day series, NASA publishes a picture of NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula, which would come to be known as “The Eye of God.” Taken by the Hubble Telescope, the nearly 11,000-year-old nebula—also known as “The Eye of Sauron”—is approximately 700 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquarius. Contrary to the eye-like appearance from Earth, the nebula is believed to be cylindrical, our view being “down” the cylinder to the star at its center. Further imagery of the nebula revealed that it contains at least 10,000 comets swarming around, and often colliding with each other, inside it.