day one hundred eighty-three (13. 769)

With economic indicators like the better than expected jobs numbers and crippling inflation pointing to a need to increase interest rates, Trump (sporting a new coif apparently) threatens his newly minted chair of the Federal Reserve that if he does not comply and reduce rates, the American president will embargo countries that have a trade surplus with the US and suspend all economic activity—as an alternative to the reciprocal tariffs declared unlawful. The US fires upon at least six tankers headed towards Iranian ports—confirming by the numbers its new tit-for-tat policy of striking an Iranian affiliated ship for every commercial vessel or US asset targeted by Tehran, the Revolutionary Guard attacking a US naval warship enforcing the blockade. Netanyahu orders the IDF to bomb Qatar, labeling it a hostile state. Special envoys Kushner and Witkoff, despite their terrible track records, hold a late night meeting with Putin to discuss ending the war with Ukraine—in time for the midterms. AfD is poised to take over state government of Saxon-Anhalt as more suspected acts of sabotage against Germany‘s power grid are narrowly thwarted by authorities—Russian agents are thought to be behind the attacks. The US justice department pauses cooperation with the government of Canada.

day one hundred eighty-two (13. 767)

The Norwegian Sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, announces it will divest itself of US treasury holdings as the American debt crisis presents as a more and more likely scenario. Diesel in the States surpasses the brief previous record high after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian strikes hit Ukrainian security services headquarters in Kyiv—prompting Washington to dispatch its favoured fail-sons, Kushner and Witkoff, to Moscow to de-escalate the situation and propose a peace deal. Sea drone warfare intensifies in the Black Sea. After expropriating Venezuela’s oil, Trump returns to the Donroe Doctrine of hemispheric dominance, resuming attacks on fishing boats with chatter about an assault on Cuba. Argentina sanctions oil production in the Falklands, proposing a Hong Kong-style handover of the UK territory. The Pentagon subjects fifty staff members to polygraph tests over supposed leaks concerning the progress of the war in Iran. Seventeen tankers assemble on the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz to attempt passage under US naval escort. The American president repeats the threat from July to strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La) the site of the heavily damaged Natanz uranium enrichment facility. The administration is pressuring Turkish banks to join Operation Economic Outcast, insisting this request is not a judgment on the NATO ally.

9x9 (13. 766)

tokyo drift: where potential car owners have to show proof to the dealership of a place to park before purchase, Japanese architects carve automobile shaped voids in urban houses 

trickle down economics: diesel prices hit a record high in the US  

pew pew: laser-washing gives jeans a broken-in look  

mo6: Finnish company introduces carbon-negative building material produced from waste lignin from the timber industry  

tasting notes: visualisations and maps of coffee origins  

ceramic dalmatian: the Wheel of Fortune consolation prize added to the History of America in 100 Objects speaks to the evolution of the game show format and our collective aspirations  

a modified neublon-b escort frigate: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens in Los Angeles—see also  

newman’s own didn’t drop a these colours don’t run salad dressing: the attempt to rename Lake Ontario is a dumb distraction but with sinister, Orwellian undertones no matter how pathetic  

handmade utopia: the architecture of the back-to-the-land movement of Northern California of the 1960s and 1970s

synchronoptica

one year ago: linking celebrities across time and space (with synchronoptica) plus assorted links worth the revisit

two years ago: more links to enjoy

three years ago: Kenneth Anger’s first film plus hot labour summer

four years ago: the reservoirs of Saalfeld 

five years ago: AI generated movie posters, less and more of the old weird web, Space 1999,  a bluesy rendition of the Seinfeld theme, the Goethe-Schiller monument plus another MST3K classic

six years ago: Trump undermining public confidence in elections 

day one hundred eighty (13. 762)

Whilst the US secretary of state warns of more strikes as the fight over the Strait of Hormuz escalates, Trump says his renewed military campaign won’t last “too long.” Islamabad calls for more dialogue to ease regional tensions. Investor confidence in future performance frayed, the US bond market undergoes a major sell off affecting broader markets and pushing America towards a debt crisis. Republican senator Thom Tillis calls for the removal of secretary of war for creating a “leadership void” during the ongoing conflict with Iran—a war being fought without a chief of the navy and now army, adding the Pentagon director is inept and intimated by competence. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz seeks Trump’s backing for the forced resettlement of Gazans, tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

day one hundred seventy-nine (13. 760)

The US house of representatives pass a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown before the midterm elections, although only punting the issue to the second week of December. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll abruptly resigns following a falling out with Secretary of War Hegseth over support for Ukraine and drone development—possibly to join the campaign of vice president JD Vance, whom recently came out as pro-apocalypse, that he would be comfortable ushering in the End Times. The US launches a fresh round of strikes on Iran, targeting sites near the Strait of Hormuz—promising heavier attacks should Tehran retaliate. Pezeshkian suggests that the Islamic Republic would “immediately reciprocate” if Washington honours its commitments under the MOU. Though appearing limited in scale at first, the American raids turn deadly with several civilians killed, including the members of a wedding party, prompting the Revolutionary Guard to launch ballistics on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan—adding that these attacks will stop once the host nations expel US troops. Despite threats and the escalation in fighting that precludes any diplomatic settlement, operational constraints and depleted munitions likely mean that Trump’s only tool is economic strangulation. IDF bombs southern Beirut.

day one hundred seventy-eight (13. 758)

Trump vows hard strike on Iran following first exchange of fire in a month after US military personnel in Jordan come under assault in retaliation for strikes on sea-mining operations on Larak island. IDF soldiers advance towards Damascus. At the invitation of treasury secretary Scott Bessent and the American president, the Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov attends the G20 hosted in Asheville, North Carolina, marking the first time since the start of the war on Ukraine that the pariah state had been given a seat at the table of the economic summit. Siluanov was not allowed to take part in the tradition group photo and instead posed with Bessent alone at the insistence of the other finance ministers. Separately, Putin reportedly expresses fear he will be defenestrated should he fail to win his war.

day one hundred seventy-seven (13. 756)

The US initiates fresh airstrikes on Iranian missile launchers positioned on the strait island of Larak, claiming to observe the Revolutionary Guard preparing to fire rockets carrying sea mines (an inefficient means to deploy them—Trump offers an AI-generated video of Kharg Island being “blown to smithereens!!”—into the Hormuz. The IRGC attacks US assets based in Jordan. The Supreme Leader urges Muslim nations to unite against their common enemies, America and Israel, vowing to avenge his father’s death. The US company Educational Testing Service confirms that it has suspended certifying its Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in Iran as part of the latest sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Trump demands that all Canadian concerns doing business with the US relocate to America immediately. Iceland narrowly rejects resuming the accession process to join the European Union.

day one hundred seventy-four (13. 743)

The Revolutionary Guard report that Tehran and Muscat have reached a deal on traffic control and revenue sharing for the Strait of Hormuz. A Kuwaiti oil tanker attempting to cross the waterway is fired upon and shipwrecked in the gulf. Crude prices, paradoxically, continue to edge lower despite the total stoppage of flow. US CIA director John Ratcliffe’s unannounced visit to Russia is reportedly to persuade Moscow to join in Operation Economic Outcast and the embargo against Iran (which the US has kept up for the last fifty year with only marginal measures to add)—but undisclosed objectives could be more sinister, like backstabbing Kyiv or requesting a disinformation campaign ahead of the elections or directed at Canadian separatists. Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman heads to Iran for peace talks as Netanyahu tells Trump diplomacy will not work with the Islamic Republic—Israel, with the backing of America, defaults to bellicosity towards its neighbours, never in position to have to play nice or negotiate. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, in defiance of seizure of facilities by Tel Aviv, says it is not giving up operations.

day one hundred seventy-three (13. 738)

Trump’s CIA director mysteriously appears in Moscow. In a limited ruling, the US Supreme Court allows the administration to curb use of mail-in ballots ahead of the mid-terms. Oman and Iran outline their plan to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz whilst the American president claims the waterway is fully demined as his economic warfare unfurls, chief Iranian trade partner China (the only other nation to refuse Trump’s deals) strongly denouncing the threat of secondary sanctions. Canada, not demurring from their own trade war—attacked and not of the their choosing—compiles a list of targeted tariffs to match dollar-for-dollar US designed to apply pressure to MAGA majority regions in hopes of swaying GOP dominated districts to rethink their tacit support for these policies, deferring on energy exports for the time being cognisant that a tariff is a tax domestically and not wanting, like Iran’s politically savvy restraint—or Ukraine pausing attacks on the Russian capital during the US intelligence chief’s visit (the only reason why the secret flight is known about), to too quickly expend sympathy and solidarity.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit (with synchronoptica), the burial site of Richard III plus another executive order from Trump

two years ago: more links to enjoy plus a visit to Hermannsfeld  

three years ago: the quandary of creation plus the Great Moon Hoax (1835) 

four years ago: colour television in Germany plus even more links

five years ago: Rashomon (1950), Saint Genès, a fictionalised rivalry, assorted links worth the revisit plus a complete cheese presentation guide

six years ago: Voyager I leaves the Solar System (2012), more links to enjoy, standards for casks and barrels plus a Downing Street double

day one hundred seventy-two (13. 737)

US launches its economic D-Day against Iran, threatening allies to cut trade ties or face sanctions themselves—though few details emerge regarding the execution or efficacy. Trump announces he will implement more tariffs on Canadian steel and automobiles to go into effect in ninety days to allow time for negotiations—which won’t materialise as Carney and company walked away from a very bad deal with a litany of demands that undermines the nation’s business sovereignty. This strategy of deferment is typical, a time-bomb left for others to diffuse—or not and having to address the consequences not of their choosing, like the arrangement that Trump made with the Taliban for America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the provisions of the his Big Beautiful Bill that trigger cuts to federal aid programmes for the incoming congress to handle (not to mention the exploding debt and broken trust globally)—and Tehran’s refusing further talks with the current administration—leaving an awful inheritance ostensibly for the Democrats. Alberta, the US chief exporter of petroleum, announces cuts to supply coming in September as America continues to drain strategic reserves to dangerously low levels and only a single tanker transited the Strait of Hormuz today with another being fired on and forced to turn back.

day one hundred seventy-one (13. 735)

Though the admission by Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian that his country was facing financial hardships might be seen as weakness and a sign that the US economic pressure campaign is working, it is only an honest expression of the realities of war and a stark counter point to Trump’s attitude—far from affirming it—that dismisses the pains of Americans and insists that expensive gas is a small price to buy to ensure Tehran never obtains a nuclear weapon. In his overtures to North Korea, Pyongyang so far giving the American president the cold shoulder, Trump disclosed the amount of warheads the country has, fifty-seven, and thus an arms race for the atomically ambitious to achieve that floor in order to have a deterrent against the US and Trump’s largess. After a month’s long deployment detour US refuelling planes leave Bulgaria after other NATO countries refused them quarter to persecute the war in Iran—and following explicit threats from Tehran. Pakistan’s army chief is flying to Iran in hopes of breaking the impasse in talks as the Islamic Republic threats maritime traffic passing the Strait of Hormuz with fines and detention, vowing that the war will not be settled under the aggressors’ conditions.

pepperidge farm remembers (13. 734)

Via ibidem, we are referred to this rather incredible gallery documenting the effort that went into the packaging and presentation of corporate standing for shareholders and stakeholders once upon a time for annual reports when trade and commerce were a bit more staid and predictable for North America and companies involved invested in production and distribution, retaining their own branding and marketing teams. This expansive archive ranging from the 1940s to the present is interactive and fully searchable—though beyond the considerable cover art might prove a tad boring and academic. Take a browse through the archives and let us know what you find.

iso 4217 (13. 732)

Introduced on this day in 1976 to replace the South Africa rand, which had been used as the legal currency since the republic gained independence from the UK in 1966, the Botswana pula (symbolised by P) is from the Setswana word for rain, a very precious commodity in the Kalahari desert, meaning by extension fortune and blessings. Unpegged from the rand and the US dollar to a floating currency, the pula adopted a fixed exchange rate regime with a basket of funds that reflected its regional trading relationships. The sub-unit, thebe (meaning shield) is represented in various denominations of coinage (also one, two and five pula coins, with the lower value bill demonetised in 2014) and bear the motto ipelegeng, meaning to carry one’s own weight, to be self-sufficient. The ten pula note currently in circulation (according to the central bank) depicts the country’s fifth president, not quite aligned with the up-to-date political situation, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, who served in high office from 2018 to 2024 and has been succeeded by His Excellency Duma Gideon Boko, leader of the Motswana opposition party Umbrella for Democratic Change—the former demonym is the singular case with Batswana being the plural, collective form for the people of the “Land of the Tswana.” The pula is also used widely in Zimbabwe following the hyperinflation of its dollar.

day one hundred seventy (13. 729)

Iran doubles the bounty on US soldiers for women who kill or capture them un the event of a ground invasion. NATO is said to be exploring options to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. As countries around the world shrug off Trump call for solidarity and economic warfare, the American president, cryptically and confusedly, suggests that the US military could be enlisted—somehow—to offset loses in the bond markets, global skepticism in the future solvency in the country that makes it more expensive to finance its debt, possibly intimating that the armed forces could become mercenaries for hire for third-party conflicts. The US only other option for leverage against Iran, having painted itself into a corner, would be to sanction Chinese banks and small, independent “teapot” refineries that import Iranian oil, but ahead of Xi’s planned state visit to the US, it does not seem like a palatable course of action—strong-arming has gotten them nowhere. France pledges delivery of air interceptors to Ukraine after deadly waves of Russian attacks. Canada hits America with a retaliatory tariffs as trade war escalates. Washington removes Syria from its list of states sponsoring terrorism after fifty years following a congressional review and hints that Damascus might play along with the embargo against Tehran.

401(play) (13. 728)

Allowance for a bit of creativity in naming things is indeed facing higher bars for access, the reserve for the haves and have-yachts and functionaries as easter-eggs with a sense of humour but there are still registries for dogs and cats, WiFi routers to boats and everything in between, and so we enjoyed this brief overview gleaned from public data on nautical nomenclature (via Web Curios) that’s browsable by category and demographics—something out of reach by most, yet christening and outfitting was afforded to at least tens of thousands in North America, with various conventions resorted to and applied buffeted with underlying identifiers from owner to owner. An expensive and aspirational hobby, one can persue the list for inspiration, though there’s some treachery in the corny and the punny and it might be a disappointment to learn that a name has already been taken—alternatively a delight to know that there is another one out there somewhere on the water. What’s your favourite? One could always consult the professionals if so disposed.

day one hundred sixty-nine (13. 726)

Trump says that he already considers the Strait of Hormuz part of the US as the world balks against the America president’s push for all nations to join in on imposing economic sanctions on Iran or face severe consequences—Iran calling it a global “declaration of war” and undermining sovereignty. Trump further requests another meeting with Kim Jong Un though Pyongyang denies that there are any talks of talks scheduled. A special UN rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories condemns the IDF as “most immoral” following the latest killings in the West Bank by violent settlers and the killing of police officers in Gaza. Houthis claim more drone hits on Saudi oil facilities and airports. Though no oil tankers have transited the Persian gulf in days, the US spins a counter-narrative, suggesting either wholesale detachment from reality or shuttling a shadow fleet. The Panama Canal limits traffic due to low water levels caused by El Niño as inland shipping across Europe falters due to drought conditions.   As Canada refuses to acquiesce to all of Trump’s trade demands, the US re-imposes a fifty-percent tariff on exports, Trump opines that Iran is desperate for a deal but not the right deal just yet.

day one hundred sixty-eight (13. 724)

Iran‘s deputy minister for foreign affairs calls out Washington on Trump’s naming his next defeat, scrambling to marshal his ill-treated allies to join against the Islamic Republic, whose military has been already destroyed numerous times reportedly and whose economy has sustained the full American arsenal of sanctions, threatening to unleash economic “D-Day“ on any country that engages in trade or commercial activity with Tehran—specifically bullying Seoul into submission by hinting at abandoning them to North Korea.

China also rejects this strategy as the Caspian corridor emerges as a new lifeline between Russia and Iran. US public debt has surpassed forty trillion dollars. Carrier group the USS George Washington arrives in the Persian Gulf to relieve the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Somali pirates captured an oil tanker transiting the Red Sea and have redirected the ship to the Horn of Africa. Dozens are killed in air strikes in Kyiv as Ukraine faces munitions shortages.

 

synchronoptica

one year ago: the evolution of a logo (with synchronoptica) plus assorted links to revisit  

 

two years ago: cellular pathology plus vice president Nelson Rockefeller 

 

three years ago: Wattstax (1965), Greta Thunberg’s first school strike for the climate (2018) plus more links to enjoy

four years ago: touring a working mine 

five years ago: Davy Jones becomes David Bowie (1965), more miniatures from Tatsuya Tanaka plus even more links

six years ago: posting to the trot, self-appointed supervisors, an attempted coup in the Soviet Union (1991) plus ravens leaving the Tower of London

day one hundred sixty-three (13. 714)

In another edition of this is not how anything works, Trump declared that once Iran is defeated—again imminent for the umpteenth time—the Strait of Hormuz will become US territory. Tehran counters that the vital waterway is under their control and cannot be seized, especially by a campaign speech, adding that whilst the agreement with Muskat may be concluded soon, those negotiations have nothing to do with Washington and America and her allies will remain under restrictions until the blockade ends and reparations are paid. Repatriation of the Panama Canal seemed to be a non-starter so maybe this delusional addition to the American empire might be a consolation-despite pledges to still make fetch happen. Market manipulation—though running of the fumes of AI driven trades and a derivative, speculative stocks—is losing cache as the US president once again dismisses the financial hardships of the underclass as the hierarchy sheds confidence as well. Hezbollah rejects ongoing negotiations between Tel Aviv and Beirut, saying that they are equal to Lebanon surrendering to Israel.

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.

day one-hundred fifty-two (13. 689)

Jordan, whose Hashemite monarchy administers the religious site in Jerusalem and maintains the status quo treaty that stipulates only Muslims can prayer there, convenes an emergency meeting of ministers from the Islamic world due to the possible Israeli takeover of the al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, which the Jews refer to as the Temple Mount. Tensions are heightened as illegal settlements continue to edge out the Palestinian population in the West Bank. With Qatar reportedly brokering indirect talks, US secretaries of state and the treasury hint that a deal over the Strait of Hormuz will be achieved very soon (“possibly today or tomorrow” as opposed to two-weeks) and fuel prices will begin to tumble as Trump complains about oil companies’ record quarterly profits and demands lower petrol prices. Iranian president Masud Pezeshkian asserts he has no intention of resigning amid speculation regarding his political future.