My family on my father’s side was part of the group expelled from Spain during this era. Family history says we were Moors (Muslim) but I have always found it unlikely. Mostly because my family does not resemble Moors (tall and dark skinned). I suppose it was easier to be ex-Moors to ex-Jews in that era. Oddly I live in the southwest now where it appears many converrsos moved here as the New World was settled. A good article from London Review of Books.

Who is a Jew?

I find myself thinking more and more about Fascism and the Spanish Civil War lately. In the 1930s a Spanish military leader named General Francisco Franco sought to overthrow one of the last ruling kings on Europe, King Juan Charles I. The only problem was Franco was basically looking to exchange one totalitarian leader (the king) for another (himself).

What was unique was the use of new communication technologies to control his message and even the very thoughts of his followers. In Germany another leader picked up the thread and used new reels, amplified sound, radio and other modern technologies to secure power.

Two enduring pieces of art that came out of this Spanish political transition was Picasso’s Guernica that showed the horrors of civilian arial bombings, a novelty at the time. Of course the German fellow was not far behind and began arial bombings of London with then-new rocket technology.

The other enduring piece of art is the writings of a George Orwell. He understood the use, or rather misuse, of language was maybe the most powerful weapon of all. He warned us in his novels particularly 1984.

So today when I hear people using grandiose language to describe things that are at best inappropriate at worst complete fabrications, I think of Orwell. I wish us all Freedom on the July 4th. And I mean that.

Maybe boiled fish for dinner?

France and Switzerland shut down nuclear power plants amid scorching heatwave

From Space.com

Climate satellite MethaneSAT backed by Bezos and Google fails in space after just 1 year

A documentary on cryptocurrency. From Texas Monthly.

Ben McKenzie Made One of the Best Documentaries in Years. Will Anyone Get to See It?

The Google Pixel 8 phone has a really nice camera, especially for low light shots. Last night there was a thin crescent moon setting over Bernalillo and I thought I would try to get a good shot. Past my bedtime, but it looked to be a neat photo opportunity. Took a couple with the Night Sight mode but the lights of Bernalillo were a bit too bright compared to the thin slice of the moon. But still a couple of interesting ones, given this was a phone camera.

A while back my friend Josh sent me a photo of the Northern Lights taken with his Pixel 8. He said it took long exposures of several minutes. I read a bit but couldn’t get it to work. Seems you need to hold the camera very still then the Astronomy mode kicks in. Looks like you really need a tripod. It was getting late and it was dark, but I decided to haul out my tripod and give it a shot.

The first photos of the Sandias was marred by a helicopter flying right through the middle of the shot. It was a 5 minute exposure, so I was annoyed. Pointed the camera up to try and get the Big Dipper. Guess what? The same helicopter goes through the middle of the shot. Another 5 minute exposure. Ok, maybe kinda neat. I can see how this Astronomy mode works. But what are the odds of that?

From Futurism.

People Are Being Involuntarily Committed, Jailed After Spiraling Into “ChatGPT Psychosis”

These days I use Google Books to purchase and read most of my books. It has a Wish List feature that is pretty handy. Occasionally a book on my list get discounted and I get a notification. Today there were 3 discounted down to $1.99. James Lee Burkes Wayfaring Stranger, Black Spartacus about the Haitian slave revolution and In Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. Except only the Burke charged as $1.99. The other two were roughly $10 and $14. I would not have noticed had I not checked the (email) receipt. Got immediate refunds on both. What is the deal here, Google?

Gov. Cox declares June 29 a statewide Day of Prayer and Fasting for Rain