day one hundred sixty-two (13. 711)

Rebuffing criticism regarding the welfare of sailors in the Persian gulf, US secretary of war Hegseth claims America can maintain its blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely as the commerce department announces plans to further isolate Tehran economically, though it’s already starting at near zero and only needs to eke out survival one day at a time and outlast the US financial trickery until the markets no longer accept Trump’s word as fiat. Also splintering with traditional allies—those required for upping the latest round of sanctions, American announces a multi-modal drone task force, Falcon Strike. As traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to stagnate, Norway‘s foreign minister joins a growing chorus calling the joint US-Israeli adventure a regressive failure, whilst US consumer sentiment falters on hopes of any relief or recovery any time soon. France condemns Israeli settlers for occupying the homes of evicted Palestinian, whilst Netanyahu calls the UK the Islamic Republic of Britain—amplifying a xenophobic dog-whistle, adding that the UK is the first nuclear capable Muslim country.

vejers strand ii (13. 710)

synchronoptica

one year ago: the Müritz basin (with synchronoptica)

two years ago: liquid water discovered on Mars plus a maximal truth-seeking AI

three years ago: La Linea 

four years ago: station updates in a psalm setting, assorted links to revisit plus tuba artist Seb Skelly

five years ago: the Battle of Dunsinane Hill (1040), a kaleidoscopic painting tool plus a classic from Sonny and Cher

six years ago: more links to enjoy, St Arnold, the second major book printed in the West plus bookshelf coffins

day one hundred sixty-one (13. 709)

In an unprecedentedly long deployment starting in the Caribbean with the invasion of Venezuela and then moving to the Middle Eastern theatre with no shore leave, care packages and beset with plumbing problems and contaminated water, more than one sailor has reportedly jumped overboard from the USS Abraham Lincoln, with the American Congress demanding to be allowed to inspect conditions. Barely deigning the counterclaims by the Trump administration, Tehran reasserts that it is in full control of the Strait of Hormuz and is not entertaining further negotiations. After twenty months and an extended maternity leave, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt abruptly resigns after being used as a decoy on the president‘s return flight from the NATO summit in Ankara—not only foregoing the gifted Air Force One out of an abundance of caution or nostalgia but also secreted onboard a third plane in a catering truck, with many members of the press corps and cabinet officials dispatched as diversion for a paranoid Trump fearing assassins.

ribe (13. 708)

synchronoptica

one year ago: touring the Mecklenburg Seeplatte (with synchronoptica)  

two years ago: assorted links to revisit plus lethonomia 

three years ago: the debut studio album from Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973) plus a visit to an industrial reservoir 

four years ago: a banger from KC and the Sunshine Band plus the Feast of St Benedetto

five years ago: your daily demon, cordoning off West Berlin (1961), more links to enjoy plus a Winnebago helicopter

six years ago: another Roman holiday, the Feast of St Cassian, a Christopher Nolan summer blockbuster, The Hunting of the Snark, 1920 movie ticket prices plus 2020: An Isolation Odyssey

day one hundred sixty (13. 707)

The EU issues another condemnation of continued political executions in Iran whilst Lebanon outlaws the death penalty. Houthi rebels maintain their hold on the junctions to the Red Sea. A grounded Russian tanker is leaking oil off of the coast of Oman—threatening environmental damage greater than the Exxon Valdez. Even if markets are still failing to acknowledge realities, the the International Energy Agency assesses that the world is burning through petroleum reserves.

solformørkelse (13. 706)

synchronoptica

one year ago: more Waren on the Müritz (with synchronoptica) 

two years ago: the Philadelphia experiment 

three years ago: a gruesome border wall on the Rio Grande plus assorted links to enjoy

four years ago: Sea Org Day, the Model T (1908) plus more links worth the revisit

five years ago: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), the 1984 Olympics closing ceremony, a collection of ephemera for events cancelled during the pandemic, more on a Roman snack bar, more WikiHow illustrations, a Barilla handbag plus Avon paperbacks

six years ago: US Space Force, campaign tickets, the IBM personal computer (1981) plus the martagon lily

day one hundred fifty nine (13. 705)

Revealed that Trump called off his last massive attack on Iran because the Saudi crown prince threatened to divest all US bonds—the American president claims that he retains the options of letting the country‘s economy to continue to deteriorate or resume military strikes (despite depleted stockpiles, et al)—

more traditional Gulf nation allies recognising the US as an unreliable partner and a liability with limited sympathy for the illegal war of choice launched with Israel, as evidenced by new coalitions forming and global bracing for an energy shock and economic depression soley deferred by China’s artificially lowering demand and deflating prices. The IDF starts wildfires south of Beirut to discourage residents from returning.

blåvand strand (13. 704)

synchronoptica

one year ago: Malchow on the Müritz (with synchronoptica)

two years ago: assorted links worth revisiting plus the invention of hip-hop

three years ago: content culling, racial tensions in the US plus dual-hatted creatives

four years ago: Le Freak (1978) plus the FBI search Mar-a-Lago

five years ago: Ghostbusters (1984) plus more links to enjoy

six years ago: even more links, anthropic limitations on the search for alien life plus the start of the Long Count Calendar (3114 BCE)