day two hundred sixteen (13. 870)

South African jurist who fought apartheid and called out Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Navi Pillay, is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Saudi Arabia suspends commercial air traffic following deadly attacks on the capital’s airport by Houthi rebels as forces vie for control of the Yemen. The Revolutionary Guard strike more tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Hurricane Isaias intensifies en route to US gulf coast. Former German Chancellor Gerhardt Schröder attends Putin’s birthday party as the scope of the treachery at the BND is still unfolding.  Secretary of war Hegseth announces that the execution by firing squad of the former US army major who killed thirteen fellow soldiers in 2019 will be live-streamed for the public. Trump reverses his earlier calls to bomb Iran before the midterms, the American president now saying he will wait until after the elections.

day two hundred fifteen (13. 866)

Israel forces the closure of the UK consulate in occupied East Jerusalem over sanction threats directed at illegal settlements in the West Bank. Hurricane Isaiah takes a quarter of oil refineries in the Gulf of Mexico off-line. Tankers, including those cleaving to the route off the coasts of Oman and Qatar, come under fire, slowing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a trickle again. Fighting rages between Yemeni regulars and rebels as Houthis launch deadly strikes at Saudi airports. Newly obtained footage reveals the extent of damage sustained to US bases across the Middle East as troops posture towards abandonment and retreat. Despite issuing new demands, including the possibility of compromise of nuclear enrichment, the American president declares he has no interest in making a deal with Tehran and orders the military to prepare to resume hostilities imminently.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth the revisit (with synchronoptica) plus cartoonist Rein Raamat

two years ago: boating on the Röblinsee 

three years ago: spiralling landscapes, vintage text book cover art plus LEGO art

four years ago: the cast of Star Trek in an energy company advert plus Saint Reparata

five years ago:  your daily demon: Raum, Baghdad’s House of Wisdom plus a bi-directional typeface

six years ago: more links to enjoy, Les Misérables (1985), poorly drawn animals plus Trump requires wildlife conservationist organisations to celebrate America’s hunting heritage

seven years ago: visualising Wikipedia updates in real time, Trump abruptly withdraws from the Syria-Turkish border, Call Me By Your Monet, The Million Eyes of Sumuru plus discouraging frivolous lawsuits in the Middle Ages

eight years ago: the degrading web plus calling attention to the problem of space junk

 

day two hundred nine (13. 850)

According to Trump, European countries, at his bidding, agree to release a “massive amount” of diesel reserves as fuel prices continue to soar worldwide, the American president blaming Ukraine for the supply shortage. EU stockpiles dwarf those of the US (as do China’s) because the bloc requires members maintain a ninety-day emergency contingency, and the energy shock was blunted by Beijing’s decision to tap its reserves rather than buying on the open market and further tightening the stocks and driving up prices even further. The reasons behind this magnanimity remain unclear but EU should at minimum leverage their decision with a demand for ending tariffs or be consulted before casting the world into chaos—or perhaps it’s just like the potash from Belarus deal.  Houthi rebels clash with Yemeni forces in Sanaa as the struggle for control of the country escalates. Iraq is granted an exemption to US sanctions on Iranian air carriers and allowed to administer a limited number of flights between Najaf and Tehran. The supreme court of Israel unanimously overturns the earlier decision by the country’s central elections commission to exclude Arabic parties from the upcoming parliamentary vote.

day two hundred seven (13. 844)

During a Hispanic Heritage Month ceremony at the White House (I thought they weren’t doing woke any more), acknowledging the departure of the last US troops from Iraq, Trump issues another ultimatum to Iran to either make a deal or be blown up. Baghdad declares a four day national holiday to celebrate its liberation. Meanwhile, announcing cuts to the ranks, secretary of war Hegseth says that American might has crippled the Islamic Republic. The conflict still deadlocked, Tehran receives a counterproposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz through diplomatic channels. Iran rejects UK narrative linking them to the foiled plot to attack a RAF Fairford, host to American fighter jet. A hijacker attempts to down an Israel bound flight from Dubai. More tankers receive fire in the Persian Gulf. Houthis target a major Saudi petroleum refinery.

day one hundred ninety-eight (13. 818)

Lawmakers is Iran draft legislation to pull the country out of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty whilst issuing stark warnings to the US following Trump’s prognosis of options available for ending the conflict are either total obliteration, economic rot or reaching a deal that suggest a fresh wave of military strikes. Tehran promises to retaliate “without limitations,” the Revolutionary Guard saying that the USA lacks the courage and resolve to defeat the Islamic Republic and the world will be “astounded” by Iran’s new weapons. Just as the White House East Wing renovations and the ballroom were a cover for an apocalypse grade bunker, the American president reveals that he plans for his triumphal arch in the capital to host a den of snipers and drones—ostensibly for defensive purposes but likely to quell riots. Trump sanctions the entire staff AfD secures a bald majority in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern but has no options of forming a state government. IDF carry out strikes in Lebanon’s Tyre district and enter Syria. European jet fuel imports fall by half with serious shortages expected.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting (with synchronoptica), American Idiot plus a banger from Earth, Wind & Fire

two years ago: Weird Al parodies Bob Dylan with palindromes plus more gerrymandering 

three year ago: grieving the loss of dark skies 

four years ago:  Ba-Dee-Ya, Martin Luther’s German translation of the Bible, more on the US Space Force plus a collection of manhole covers

five years ago: an advertisement for Ivermectin 

six years ago:  the Order of the Smile, The Hobbit (1937), the legacy of colonial goods stores, alternative chess plus wide-scale money laundering

seven years ago: The Far Side returns plus more Earth, Wind and Fire

eight years ago: assorted links to revisit, a sexy Handmaiden costume for Halloween plus Dial-a-Song

 

day one hundred ninety-seven (13. 815)

Ukraine bombards Moscow with hundreds of drone strikes on the final day of its elections for the Duma, angered that ballots were sent to illegally annexed territories. It is day one thousand six hundred seventy for that conflict. Two weeks after AfD strong results in Saxon-Anhalt, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern go to the polls with the chancellorship of Friedrich Merz hanging in the balance. Through Qatari and Pakistani mediators, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei conveys its conditions for resuming talks with Washington (only for reopening the Strait of Hormuz), demands including the unfreezing of Iranian assets, lifting the naval blockade and an immediate end to fighting on all fronts, to include Lebanon. Saudi forces attempt to repel Houthi attacks on the capital. Tehran rebuffs claims by US treasury secretary Scott Bessent that the sanctions of Operation Economic Outcast are working and that Iranians are queuing for hours for petrol, calling his propaganda baseless lies and projection as American filling stations report shortages, all time high prices and airlines cut marginal domestic routes. Bucking concerns that accelerated deployment of the technology could kill us all, Trump pledges to create an “AI Force” and appoint an artificial intelligence czar, whilst also proposing to rename it Eloquent Intelligence.

aal11 (13. 782)

Shortly after taking office in January of this year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s staff found a tranche of documents, sixty-four boxes, never released that suggest that residents of Lower Manhattan were misled about the safety and air quality in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks and for years following. The mayor directed his staff to upload these documents and make them available on a portal that anyone can search, coming online earlier this week. One can see environmental surveys for any given neighbourhood and learn more about the actual risk, exposure with resources about filing a claim for compensation. In a rush to get businesses in New York running again and to not “let the terrorist win”—reminiscent of the resistance to social-distancing schemes, shuttered shops and restricted gatherings and the push by some for a return to normality that was premature and had far-reaching consequences—public officials at the city, state and federal levels assured that the air was safe to breathe and the water safe to drink for those living next to ‘the Pile’—rescue workers avoiding the term ground zero favoured by the media, the rubble of the Twin Towers, burning concrete, lead, asbestos as well as hazards from the some two thousand automobiles buried in the underground parking. Three times the number of individuals, not only first responders, who died that day a quarter of century ago have now died as a result of illnesses caused by living with the toxic debris. The terror attacks were declared an act of war to limit the city’s legal liability. The resource, courtesy of Web Curios, also includes a wealth of information documenting the social impact, search and recovery efforts and perhaps most importantly how institutions respond to something so unimaginably of world-changing magnitude and violence.

synchronoptica

one year ago: a 1970 documentary on Kenneth Anger (with synchronoptica) plus artist Ivan Aivazovsky

two years ago: search engine optimisation, transcribing presidential debates plus tales of Chemical Romance 

three years ago: the Hoover Dam comes online (1936), an actual flying car from 1973, bird photograph of the year plus a manliness calibrator

four years ago: an important battle in the Scottish War of Independence (1297)

five years ago: 80s automotive dashboards, avian photograph of the year, the Dead Internet conspiracy theory plus Mid-Century Modern home-entertainment consoles

six years ago: a memorable, perfectly timed photograph, Disintegration Loops, fiery skies plus assorted links to revisit

 

twa 355 (13. 780)

Hijacked on this day in 1976, the domestic flight from LaGuardia to O’Hare in Chicago was taken by a group of five Fighters for Free Croatia to further the independence movement of the constituent state from Yugoslavia. Halfway into the flight, the hijackers stormed the cockpit and directed the plane to Montreal’s Mirabel airport, allowed to refuel after telling authorities that a bomb had been planted in a locker at New York’s Grand Central Station and issued instructions on how to locate and disarm it. Further the group group demanded an appeal for the movement be printed in major American newspapers. The plane was flown to Gander, Newfoundland where an air traffic controller negotiated for the release of thirty-five passengers. Refused permission to land by the UK government in London, the aircraft touched down in Keflavík before traveling to Paris where the hijackers surrendered after talks with US ambassador Kenneth Rush. America writer and activist Julienne Bušić, married to the operation’s mastermind Zvonko Bušić, was hugged by the pilot for her help in keeping the passengers calm during the whole ordeal. Although a New York police officer was killed attempting to dismantle rather than detonate the explosive device planted at the train terminal, the devices on board the airplane were discovered to be fakes. The group of five were sentenced to long terms in prison, minimum of thirty years, for conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy and for the death of the police officer (Julienne Bušić served her time in a correctional facility in Dublin, California along with cellmate Squeaky Fromme, whom was reassigned after several incidents of violence perpetrated by Fromme), though eventually all were remanded to parole in an independent Croatia.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting (with synchronoptica), a posturepedic bed, AI can’t do clocks plus Russian threatens Finland’s sovereignty 

two years ago: more links to enjoy

three years ago: even more assorted links  

four years ago: Hey Jude (1968), links to enjoy, more telling the bees plus more even more links to revisit

five years ago: St Aubert, the ecological importance of oyster-beds, comparable to coral reefs plus even more links worth revisiting

six years ago: the largest basilica in the world, artist Marianne von Werefkin, a devastating earthquake in Constantinople (1509), the original and the reprised Fresh Prince, burning skies plus Hongkonger neologisms

 

 

day one hundred eighty-one (13. 765)

US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick retracts his statement that no Americans have been killed in the Iran war, acknowledging that eighteen US service members have died in the line of duty. Vice president JD Vance announces that an investigation will take place over the deaths of individuals at a wedding party in the village of Kuhestak killed by a US airstrike but remains skeptical of Iranian claims. Further, Vance adds that talks will not resume until attacks on ships stop. Though not openly engaged with Tehran militarily, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu says that overthrowing leadership remains the main objective six months into the joint-US war of choice against the Islamic Republic and that that goal is within reach—at the same time accusing the opposition political party as traitors seeking to topple their own government—not as strong as Trump calling journalists “treasonous scum” for questioning US military readiness. Through the threat of drone attacks, Ukraine is dominating Russian airspace and causing severe disruptions to civilian plane traffic.

danmarks flymuseum (13. 721)

For a grey day, with the bonus that dogs are allowed inside, we took a tour of the Danish Air Museum annex of the Stauning regional airfield just east of Ringkøbing Fjord. Founded in 1975 under the name of the Denmark Veteran Air Collection, the double hangers contain about seventy aircraft from all over the world including domestically built Kramme & Zeuthen and Scandinavian Aero Industri planes. There were historical exhibits of the first gliders and an early helicopter—plus the Danish naval Sikorsky redningshelikopter, the fleet used for sea rescue and to transport the royal family. 

There were also many defensive planes from the Spitfire to modern fighter jets and shelves of model planes of every era, including many made of LEGO bricks, to discover. The museum also holds the plane of Folke Bernadotte of Wisborg, the Swedish diplomat who helped negotiate the release of hundreds from Danish and Swedish concentration camps and thirty thousand more prisoners of war as vice-president of the Swedish Red Cross and was instrumental in securing the surrender of the Third Reich—Heinrich Himmler personally asked the count for an armistice and to convey a peace proposal to Truman and Churchill that Nazi Germany be allowed to capitulate to the Allies only and continue to fight the Soviet Union, without the Führer’s knowledge. That plan went no where but did lead to eventual acceptance of defeat.

Following the war, Bernadotte, as a UN mediator, tried to ease Arab and Israeli fighting following the partition of Palestine and the creation of an independent Jewish state—recommending Muslim nations have the final say on the disposition of the country in consultation with the local populace—and achieved a temporary ceasefire but was assassinated by Zionist paramilitary militants posing as IDF soldiers before he could further advocate for his proposal. Denmark itself was “invited” to join the Anti-Comintern Pact against the Communist International (the USSR) and pressured to accept what was frame by Germany as protective occupation, enjoying a relatively light subjugation—though any appearance of independence was a sham for foreign propaganda and politicians particularly were under the control of Nazi authorities. Conditions for the Danes took a turn for the worst with the ordered a general crack down, the withdrawal of Danish troops from Jutland and a prime minister installed of the Reich’s choosing after Hitler sent King Christian a long and flattering birthday greeting by telegram, with the monarch responding only, “Meinen bester Dank aus. Chr— Rex,” which sent the Führer into a fit of rage over the perceived lack of gratitude.

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.

12x12 (13. 670)

we should rely less on the nazi bar somewhat: Elon Musk is given a pass for his virulent racism on the social media site he owns  

googlewhack: it’s becoming impossible to find old emails for reference—see previously 

pitsur í steinofni: the history of pizza in Iceland 

claim-jumping: taking space prospecting down a notch with no known commodity resources that could be sold profitably on Earth  

pyrocumulonimbus: the wildfires in southwest France have grown so intense that their smoke columns became a thunderstorm, with lightning strikes that ignited new fires  

absurdly optimised: the antithesis of a product review site—via Card House  

spirit airlines: Evangelical preachers, much to the dismay of fellow passengers, are turning planes in pulpits with a captive congregation       

dinopocalypse: all life with the Chicxulub impact zone sixty-six million years ago would have been immediately obliterated and grateful for it 

icc: US is pressuring countries to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, with Chad and Venezuela being the latest to begin the process of leaving the Hague 

today’s special: restaurateurs are increasingly reject AI generated advertising and menus as cheap and lazy and turn to the handmade and bespoke  

blame the home row: a work-around for not reenforcing one’s browser history and being lured into to distraction—we can relate to this 

regular animals: artist Beeple (previously) put the head of Elon Musk on a robot dog for a dynamic art installation in Berlin

synchronoptica

one year ago: balance of trade (with synchronoptica) plus more misheard lyrics

two years ago: JD Vance’s sofa memoirs, nobody reads ads, twirling towards freedom, a phoney controversy over the Olympics opening ceremony plus Friday Night Videos (1983)

three years ago: Martha of Bethany 

four years ago: departing from Newcastle 

five years ago: St Olaf, in-game economies, Lord of the Rings (1954) plus philosophical CAPTCHAs

six years ago: the Seashells of North America, more Universal Everything, the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (1981) plus Trump’s personal physician

 

day one-hundred thirty-eight (13. 641)

Middle Eastern nations are on high alert has hostilities continue to flare, the Revolutionary Guard declaring that Iran is in a state of all out war as US forces strike the southern cities of Shiraz and Tabriz and western Azerbaijan province. Sirens blare across Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar as more ballistics fall. Trump repeats his vow that the deaths of service members will be avenged many times over with secretary of state Rubio accusing Iran, rather obviously, of using its control of the Hormuz as “leverage against the world” whilst calling on other countries to share the burden of protecting global shipping. US fighter jets based in Germany are to be stationed at Israeli air force stations for safety. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani speculates on the possibility of enforcing a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court—of which the US is not a signatory—should Netanyahu visit for a UN summit in September to the outrage of the American president, saying that the Israeli prime minister will in “no way, shape or form be arrested” and extradited. After a Riyadh-led occupation of the airport of the Yemeni capital of Sanaa to prevent Iran from sending aid to the rebels, the Houthi declare access to the Red Sea cut off to Saudi Arabia. US peacekeeping operations begin in southern Lebanese “pilot zones” as part of the trilateral peace agreement with Tel Aviv. Hamas names new political bureau chief, Khalil al-Hayya.

anemocratic (13. 640)

Writer, journalist, philosopher, world-traveller, war-correspondent and flight-instructor, Guy Murchie, Jr in his 1954 breakthrough book of recollections, drawing from his observations and experiences as an aviator, Song of the Sky, includes a glossary on the names of winds from around the globe, calling his treasury “among the least known and most beautiful words.” Murchie’s appreciation and fondness extends to:

Simoom—the desert, strong, hot and dust-laden gusts of Arabia, Syria and Libya
Siffanto—a blast of heat from the hot heel of Italy
Wisper—a wind whistling through the narrows of the Rhein valley
Haboob—the dusty downdrafts of Sudan and the Upper Nile
Etesian—describing the cool summer afternoons of Greece and the Levant

The title comes from the uncommon term for being governed by the changing winds. Much more from Futility Closet at the link up top.

synchronoptica

one year ago: Lee Harvey Oswald allowed to return to the US after defecting to the Soviet Union (with sychronoptica), assorted links to enjoy plus St Pier Giorgio 

two years ago: a sign of solidarity with Trump’s failed assassination attempt plus going Nazi

three years ago: the Siege of Chartres (911)

four years ago: a champagne cocktail to commemorate the Moon landing plus exploring Aberdeenshire 

five years ago: exploring Orust and Tjörn 

six years ago: St Wilgefortis 

day one-hundred thirty-six (13. 635)

The FBI subpoenaed several journalists from the New York Times, pressuring them to reveal their sources regarding Trump’s change of planes upon departing the NATO summit in Ankara, leaving on the old Air Force One, rather than by the one gifted to him by the Qatari government—the reporters uncovering it was done out of safety and security concerns over the retrofitted aircraft and not a chance for the new plane to make a publicity tour of European US bases as officially put out. Already targeting infrastructure and energy facilities across Russia, Ukrainian strikes destroyed major logistics hubs and warehouses in the Tambov and Moscow regions of Wildberries (Ва́йлдберриз), the Russian e-commerce giant and Amazon equivalent. Iran’s Supreme Leader suspends the MOU as Washington and Tehran continue to exchange fire. Two American soldiers stationed in Jordan were killed by incoming Iranian ballistics and a third service member is missing. A US radar station in Camp Arifjan in Kuwait was destroyed. Shelter in place orders were issued for Bahraini citizens near the base hosting the US Fifth Fleet. Israel moves to seize ancient freshwater reservoirs in Bethlehem as desalination plants of neighbouring countries continue to sustain damage.  Israel also reclassifies the endangered status of the Nile crocodile in order to use the animals as deterrent for escape from a prison holding suspected Hamas militants and sympathisers.  

9x9 (13. 605)

spitalfields life: street photographer Kurt Hutton  

djt: rentier-in-chief could potential benefit financially from the rebranding of Palm Beach International airport, just kilometres away from Mar-a-Lago 

turn around bright eyes: RIP Bonnie Tyler—see previously here, here and here 

l’odissea: the 1911 cinematic adaptation of the timeless classic  

freedom fuel: White House announces network of gas stations with prices capped (previously) at $3.47 per gallon, status quo ante bellum 

the night the earth shook, strangers started to draw: in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Syria and Türkiye in February of 2023, the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team helped save lives—via Maps Mania 

twenty minutes into the future: a look at when the cola-wars where dominated by dystopian science-fiction—see previously

tax shelter: very much solicited financial advice on Trump Accounts for Kidz 

pixel skylines: urban grounds from vintage video games

9x9 (13. 563)

pennsylvania dutch: an ethnographic profile of the Deitsch speaking Amish—see also  

it’s 1100 pm—do you know where your ai agent is: Janelle Shane (previously) on agentic artificial intelligence, vibe-coding and the need for guardrails  

hunshandake sandy land: battling creeping desertification with an army of chickens 

ethnic cleansing: US supreme court rules that the country can refuse asylum-seekers at the border and can begin the deportation of Syrian and Haitian refugees under temporary protected status        

⚙️⚙️⚙️🦑⚙️⚙️⚙️: manoeuvre your marine mollusc through an environment resembling dungeon levels from Zelda with Bubble Bobble type puzzles—via MetaFilter  

rainbow plaques: an alternative to Blue historical markers appear across London, honouring LGTBQ+  personages

final descent: the iconic airliner, the Boeing 747, is being phased out 

jerry’s world: a map of an imaginary land limned over decades using a deck of cards for procedural generation—see also  

despicable me: the influence of Minionese on the slang of Gen Alpha—see previously

9x9 (13. 539)

criterion collection: a roundup of dirigible-themed movies, featuring, among others, Fay Wray and Ronald Reagan as secret agent Brass Bancroft  

the camelot of africa: a tour Ethiopia’s Gondar castles 

binomial coefficients: some numbers in Pascal’s triangle make very few cameos and no one is sure why  

lost world: museum docent Louis Gratacap pioneered the genre—see previously  

fast-track enlargement: talks begin for EU accession for Ukraine and Moldova  

ger:gre: Monty Python’s Ancients v Moderns football match  

planetary-mass companion: the famous Pink Planet may be a failed binary star system  

a tisket, a tasket: an update on the headquarters building of Longaberger baskets—see previously  

sac pour mal de l’air: a collection of air sickness bags from a variety of airlines

day ninety-five (13. 483)

In retaliation for American strikes on an oil tanker denied access to Iranian ports for refueling and attacks on Qeshm island, Tehran targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain—the scale of damage done to military installations in the region vastly underreported with some twenty sites affected—countermeasures were not able to prevent a drone attack on Kuwait’s international airport, resulting in one fatality and injuring dozens. The exchange of fire comes amid stalled peace talks to extend the ceasefire, which already seems to be a lost cause as the Revolutionary Guard announces suspension of further negotiations, unwilling to engage in dialogue under duress. Trump maintains a deal will be made and everyone should sit back and relax. The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah seems equally strained with more deadly skirmishes at the border with Netanyahu downplaying Trump’s dissatisfaction with IDF breaches, and Ukrainian drones hit St Petersburg as Putin opens an economic forum to attract foreign investment as the new Middle East. The faltering administration, stung by assessments from congress that Trump will settle for less from Iran than Obama achieved, meanwhile announces that the US president will attend the upcoming NATO summit in person as some items need to be cleared up amongst allies.

day sixty-four (13. 399)

As Iranian maritime authorities announce a list of enemy flagged ships, including Israel, that will never be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz, the US navy extends the offer again to escort tankers, presumably whilst conducting mine-sweeping operations to open up an in-going and an out-going sealane. Though not preferable to diplomacy, Tehran is expressing receptiveness to reengaging in renewed conflict rather suffering a protracted ceasefire, recognised as a stalling tactic on the part of the US and siege warfare meant to grind down the country economically with worldwide consequences. Fuel prices continue to climb with airlines curtailing flight schedules and in one case for a budget-carrier, declaring bankruptcy. Despite the truce, Israel and Hezbollah trade blows in Lebanon as America fast-tracks more arms sales to Middle Eastern allies.

synchronoptica

one year ago: more adventures in the Tauber valley (with sychronopticæ), Radio Free Europe plus a bad-faith broker

fifteen years ago: antiquarian corner