Friday, July 11, 2025

Good morning. Are you ready for another newsletter? I hope so. Because this is that.

Item 1: a link

A couple of weeks ago, the estimable Jason Kottke blogged about Teenage Engineering (previously kinda seen on Wolmania, albeit not explicitly mentioned, partnering with Panic to design the Playdate)'s fascinatingly-expensive set of wirelessly-linked speaker dolls, known en masse as the Choir. Each has a unique timbre (and cultural history) and they automatically connect and sing together. Jason was prompted to write about this because he saw that Rob Simonson, the composer for the new Pixar movie, used the Choir as part of the score.

Anyway, this is what they all sound like:

You can buy the dolls individually, but the whole ensemble is a steal at $1,992 (although you're probably going to want a midi keyboard, too) (and you might need to learn to play the keyboard).

Item 2: a list

Mythological Mirrors, Ranked:

1. Smoking mirror, the mirror used by the god Tezcatlipoca to see the whole cosmos. (Aztec mythology)
2. Archimedes's mirror, used by Archimedes to focus sunlight onto ships attacking Syracuse, causing them to catch fire. (Greek mythology)
3. Oshun's mirror, a mirror that the river spirit Oshun keeps upon her person and uses as her symbol as the goddess of beauty. (Yoruba mythology)
4. Yata no Kagami, a mirror representing wisdom that was offered to the goddess of the sun, Amaterasu. (Japanese mythology)
5. Snowwhite's stepmother's mirror, a talking mirror that serves Snow White's stepmother by answering her questions. (German folklore)
6. Logun Ede's mirror, given as a gift from his mother, Oshun. (Yoruba mythology)

Item 3: a media recommendation

Item 4: word of the week

Ultracrepidarian

I'm tired of all these ultracrepidarians telling me what I can and cannot fit into the trunk of my compact car. And I am buying this vintage London telephone booth !!!

Item 5: a photograph

See ya!

Thank you for reading. I hope to see you again next week.