day eighty-seven (13. 463)

Encouraging more countries—Egypt, Türkiye, Jordan, chief mediator Pakistan, to normalise relations with Israel, Netatayahu, campaigning on regime change in Tehran in order to secure reelection in October has squandered America’s unconditional support for the country, arguably the single most important political relationship (after both incumbents inevitably leave office and political will shifts) and is effectively locked out of negotiations for a peace settlement. World markets react with unjustified exuberance and gas prices fall on hopes of ending the frozen conflict though the toughest work remains ahead. In a seeming breach of the ceasefire, the US attacks missile launch sites in the south of Iran and boats reportedly capable of laying marine mines citing self-defence. Plans are also underway to strip guardianship of Jerusalem’s al Aqsa mosque from Jordan and Palestine and convert the complex into a multi-faith centre.

synchronoptica

one year ago: the end of an era for an emoji set (with synchronopticæ) plus a public, open-source illustration shop

fourteen years ago: a houseplant blueprint 

fifteen years ago: more on the G8 and ₿ 

sixteen years ago: captcha weeding out robots 

day eighty-six (13. 462)

 Whilst acknowledging that some progress is being made, Tehran is denying that a deal with Washington has been reached.  Trump, expressing his desire to make the settlement an even more historic event, he insists that the signing ceremonies include Saudi Arabian and Qatari assent to the Abraham Accords, recognising the state of Israel—implying stability in the region for the joint US-Israeli war of aggression might be a precondition for his Board of Peace members.  Mexico offers to host the Itanian national football team during the FIFA World Cup, though matches may still take place in Arizona.

porto, orta, ponti (13. 461)

synchronoptica

one year ago: an exploration of Kowloon Walled City (with synchronopticæ), a treasury of obscure words plus US Food and Drug Administration restricts access to vaccines

fifteen years ago: promoting electro mobility 

sixteen years ago: unsolicited budgetary advice for the eurozone 

days eighty-four and five (13. 460)

Insisting that he does not make bad deals, Trump has issued a non-update on the progress of peace negotiations with Iran, again calling out disparaging and doubtful reports to the contrary as unpatriotic and subversive.  Premature news hailed the settlement as a settled matter with an attendant and designed market rally, yet little has emerged from Pakistan’s intermediary shuttle diplomacy other than Trump trying to distinguish his concept of a deal as superior to what Tehran and Obama achieved. With the US still intransigent about unfreezing Iranian assets, reparations in exchange for a supposed longer moratorium on nuclear research and development—only amounting to a further sixty day extension to the ceasefire, something which no one wants.

the corsican twins (13. 459)

Vaguely remembering the short musical number—it turns out it was a song about phonetics from PBS‘s The Electric Company—I don’t know if I ever knew Alexandre Dumas’ Les Frères corses and so neither registered nor appreciated the numerous other cultural references. In the 1844 novella, the formerly conjoined brothers, separated by a surgeon at birth, were called Louis and Lucien. Whereas the former became a sophisticated attorney in Paris, the latter sibling remained close to his roots, living with their widowed mother in the south of the island near Porto Vecchio. Despite being put asunder by the doctor’s scalpel as newborns, the brothers have a sympathetic connection at a distance and can feel the other’s emotions. Lucien undertakes the role of mediator between two local feuding families and with Louis’ help lawyers up. There are myriad homages, pastiches and parodies, including Gene Wilders’ Start the Revolution without Me, dozens of adaptations and the twins renamed as Cheech and Chong, Samantha ans Sabrina, and in the GI JOE cartoon series, brothers-in-arms Tomax and Xamot are depicted as having the Corsican syndrome where any injury to one is suffered by the other. Dumas’ work is in part of an allegory critical of contemporary French attempts to centralise government power and civilise its provincial regions, including the territory annexed since 1768 remains ruggedly independent, like Bretagne.

de ajaccio à porto vers de la côte (13. 458)

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to enjoy (with synchronopticæ), punctuation against AI authorship, a Romani saint plus a magic circle programming language 

fifteen years ago: radical knitters and hydropower 

sixteen years ago: DNA watermarks 

ms mega smeralda (13. 457)

Originally built in 1985 in the shipyards of Helsinki for Silja Line traffic between the Finnish capital and Stockholm— christened for service by the famous Swedish opera star Märta Birgit Nilsson, the cruise liner joined the fleet of Corsica Ferries in 2012. 

Our ship’s maiden voyage the following year coincided with the Tour de France including legs in Corsica, the boat transporting sports journalists and others working on the race and docked at the port of Ajaccio, served as accommodations and a media centre. 

 

synchronoptica

one year ago: the One Bill Beautiful Bill and birthright citizenship (with synchronopticæ), assorted links worth revisiting plus It magazine

fourteen years ago: Chinese treasury holdings 

fifteen years ago: not the end of the world 

sixteen years ago: German word-building 

day eighty-three (13. 456)

Trump again raises spectre of military intervention in Cuba. Macro Rubio will visit the issue of Trump’s disappointment with NATO allies during the upcoming anniversary of the founding. Though the position of redeployment of US troops in Germany seems to be settled, the president abruptly reversed his decision to stop stationing soldiers in Poland, leaving all parties confused. No appreciable progress has been made on negotiations with Iran as global petroleum supplies approach a red zone as reserves dwindle and are depleted. US director of national intelligence Tussi Gabbard is sidelined, marking another departure from the cabinet.