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.

nymindegrab strand (13. 715)

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit (with synchronoptica)

two years ago: a gallery of images that look like AI but are not plus the proposed state of Absaroka

three years ago: variable verbs 

four years ago: Dancing Queen (1976) plus the first trans-Atlantic telegraph (1858)

five years ago: My Sharona (1979), the US withdraws from Afghanistan, mass-transit announcements plus artist Marjorie Cameron Parsons Kimmel 

six years ago: Australian wildfires, Freddie Mercury’s grade school band, photographer Chase Middleton, the Feast of Saint Roch, Fiddlesticks (1930) plus hobo maps

day one-hundred forty-three (13. 656)

An individual known to authorities as a member of the “Islamist scene” drives a van through crowds gathered for Berlin’s Christopher Street Day parade, the Pride festival named after the address of the Stonewall Inn in New York City, riots against police raids there starting off the gay rights struggle. The ramming incident leaves one dead and sixteen injured. Iran reports the first night without US strikes in two weeks—Washington officials cite the potential to “dangerously drain” already diminished munitions stockpiles in the region. The Houthi launch ballistics at Saudi Arabia in reprisal for the destruction of the airport at SanaaTehran’s foreign ministry summons Ukrainian diplomatic envoy to explain why Kyiv targeted an an Iranian flagged vessel in the Caspian sea, straining tensions between the two star-crossed and besieged underdogs. Israeli settlers in the West Bank burn down a mosque as more neighbourhoods are bulldozed.

day one-hundred forty-one (13. 649)

Dragged into the next forever war, the UN chief and Chinese government sounds alarm over the situation quickly escalating out of control. After the thirteenth consecutive night of raids on Iran, Trump threatens that a “massive attack” is coming soon plus consequences for the Houthi rebels for blocking the Bab al-Mandab strait. Tehran declares states outside of the Middle East hosting US military in Europe and the UK to be legitimate targets. After consulting with his police force, Mamdani concedes that as mayor, he cannot apprehend the Israeli leader should he visit New York, but expresses hope that the US will enforce the International Criminal Court arrest warrant. Washington says that as part of its nuclear deal, Riyadh must recognise Tel Aviv and establish diplomatic relations.

tenty-wise (13. 599)

Originating in Teutonic lands and referred to as hund or hundreð, the long hundred represents the quantity of 120. A hybrid of both Germanic and Romance influence, English eventually added the qualifier long to distinguish it from their short hundred and historic manuscripts and accounting records often include marginalia glosses to distinguish numbers meant to be understood as decimal rather than dozenal or base twelve—Et quolibet c. continet vi. xx., Each such ‘hundred’ contains six score.  Due to extensive trade networks, England maintained these competing units (see previously), with a hundred kippers (though not herring) to be one hundred twenty fish, a hundred of linen cloth being hundred twenty ells of fabric. The convention is preserved today with the measure of dry goods as the hundredweight (also known as the quintal (for five twenties and abbreviated cwt), in Canada and the US as one hundred pounds (forty five kilograms) and in the imperial customary system as eight stone (one hundred twelve pounds—the long hundred was also called the twelfty, fifty kilograms), with both systems reckoning a ton as twenty hundredweight and necessitating the need to differentiate between a long and short ton—see above. In North America, this metric is used for blacksmiths’ anvils and for stock trade in paper, livestock and some cereal grains and seed oils. In the metric system, a quintal, hardly ever used as a unit of mass (q), is equivalent to one hundred kilograms, the obsolete measure defined in a decree issued 13 Brumaire, IX (4 November 1800) but never included as part of the IS weights and measures. The Zentner (derived from the Latin centrum) as a measure of mass in the German Sprachraum—exported abroad with beer brewing—was the back translation of one hundred Pfund, presently settled on fifty kilos, approximately one hundred ten pounds, with a Pfund informally used to ask for five hundred grams.

day one-hundred twenty-one (13. 576)

The Qatari foreign ministry confirms that no high-level meeting between US and Iranian officials is scheduled to take place in Doha over the coming days despite the arrival of envoys Kushner and Witkoff, Tehran saying it is currently not negotiating with Washington in any capacity and will not resume talks until violence ends in Lebanon. Concerned over increased executions has prompted French lawmakers to sponsor individual death-row political prisoners, whilst German intelligence services find that Iran is spying on opposition activists domestically.

day seventy-seven (13. 435)

Returning from Beijing with little apparent progress of AI integration, the question of support for Taiwan or Middle East peace, and still haunted or harnessed with the spectre of not being concerned about the worsening economic welfare of the American people in pursuit of a war only speciously connected with their security, Trump’s threats to recommence military operations has Iranians on edge—the chief outcome of the meeting in China being the reaffirmation that Trump is an agent of chaos and Xi heading the more competent, staid and predictable superpower. Meanwhile, the administration appears to make good on its announcement to withdraw American troops and mid-range missiles stationed in Europe, the redeployments already seemingly underway in Bavaria and the deployment of a brigade level combat unit to Poland halted as the threat of Russia on NATO’s eastern flank remains.

 

synchronoptica 

one year ago: a catalogue of non-synonymous phrases (with synchronopticæ) plus a baffling online oracle

fourteen years ago: Iceland’s Kitchenware Revolution

fifteen years ago: a Eurovision watch-party plus America loosing its competitive edge

schotter plots (13. 426)

Via this demonstration of reinterpreting an ALCOL code from 1968 to regenerate the iconic early computer art (see also here and here) of pioneer Georg Nees with a modern programming language, Python with an injection of randomness, we are pleased to have made the acquaintance—courtesy of Quantum of Sollazzo—of the founding champion of computer-aided design and architecture and studies in computer graphics. Working as a mathematician for Siemens electrical engineering division in Erlangen, Nees (*1926 - †2016) got his first experience with programming in 1959, eventually graduating to a Zuse Graphomat Z64 plotter to create his computer sculptures, his original commission being charged with finding a practical use for the machine, the milling and carving of components controlled by the programme, prefiguring 3D printing and showed how code can produce such “gravel,” distorting and rotating the squares to introduce chaos or equally bringing back order. Retiring from Siemens in 1985, Nees focused on aesthetics and semiotics, the study of symbols and signs, as applied to media and design, exhibiting his collaborative work with rudimentary AI engines, as one of the first centaurs, seeding the instructions and prompts with philosophical and mythical commands to see the effects on the output. The Schotter Plots are exhibited in the Victoria & Albert museum. Much more at the links above.

bergstadt bamberg (13. 398)

Called the Frankonian Rome for its seven hill, each crowned with a church, we made our way into town via a short bus ride—a first for the dogs who handled it pretty well—hoping that the holiday crowd would have dissipated somewhat, but the the city was full and lots was going on for a fair-weather weekend. 

There is an absolute embarrassment of sites to see in the Old Town, so we had to limit ourselves to a nice stroll in the Alt Stadt and ended up at old brewery, treated to another live band, this time a klezmer group with clarinets and accordion. A quick tour, even a whistle-stop one of the main attractions along the canals, also with comparisons to another Italian jewel with Klein Venedig, do not do it justice. We did manage however to pay some homage to the Altes Rathaus, designed in the mid-eighteenth century to mark the boundary between the hilly part of the town and the collection of islands in the Regnitz that coincides with the limits of the bishopric and secular district of the town, legend holding that the ecclesiastics were to stingy to afford the citizenry land for a town hall, so an artificial island was improvised, Venice-style.

 

day sixty-three (13. 397)

Quipping that the US is “sort a like pirates” after the seizure of more Iranian cargo ships and commenting that the US may take over Cuba on the way back from the Persian Gulf, Trump is briefed on Tehran’s new fourteen point peace proposal proffered to end a suggested extension of the ceasefire for a full two months and although now the recalcitrant party, considers it progress—though with the same breath, says that Iran has not suffered enough economically and insists on addressing their atomic ambitions as a prerequisite for any further negotiations. Although probably just a bargaining chip to apply more leverage on Berlin and NATO over trade deals and another instance of TACO, Trump further clarified that the redeployment of five thousand troops from Germany will focus on the Stryker brigade stationed in the Oberplfalz near the village of Vilseck. Someone should remind Trump (or not) it was Obama who closed Heidelberg, Würzburg, Bamberg, etc, and how a withdrawal planned during his first term went no where.  German defence minister Wadephul says that such a withdrawal was assumed and chancellor Merz insists that his relationship with the US president is the same it was a week prior to the announced reduction.

synchronoptica

one year ago: a visit to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (with synchronopticæ)

thirteen years ago: recreating the first web page 

fourteen years ago: a treasury of bookplates 

fifteen years ago: the capture and assassination of bin Laden plus Walpurgisnacht

sixteen years ago: more special houseplants 

day sixty-two (13. 395)

As Trump argues that the war powers resolution up for debate in congress as the conflict enters its second month and sixty day deadline for re-authorisation from the legislature is an unconstitutional check on his powers, the US president elaborates and expounds on his call for removal and redeployment of US troops from bases in Germany, citing five thousand. NATO is seeking an explanation as warnings come for Spain and Italy for their reluctance.

Someone should remind him—or not—that it was Obama who closed the bases in Heidelberg, Würzburg, Bamberg and Schweinfurt. Trump also adds it is treasonous to suggest that America is not winning. US marine corps personnel associates complain of threatening text messages from the supposedly eliminated Iranian navy Meanwhile with tacit confirmation that the new Ayatollah was injured and disfigured in the attack at the beginning of the fighting that killed his extended family, the supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei reasserts his control, calling Iran a military power to be reckoned with in a Labour Day (also defiantly, Teachers’ Day) message. Despite the ceasefire, more die in Lebanon as collateral from Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets.

synchronoptica

one year ago: a return to the Tauber river valley (with synchronopticæ)

twelve years ago: more calendric conventions 

thirteen years ago: axis mundi plus a paperback library

fourteen years ago: US-German relations plus May Day vs Americanization Day 

sixteen years ago: returning from Istanbul 

day sixty-one (13. 393)

Following chancellor Merz’ criticism of the administration for its lack of strategy and saying it was being humiliated by Iran, Trump is mulling on reducing the number of the some thirty-six thousand US troops station in Germany, whilst still entertaining the prospect of leaving the NATO alliance entirely over its unwillingness to be drawn into the war with Iran. 

Oil prices rise to above $125 per barrel on news that naval blockade could continue for months with no renewed negotiations on the horizon and Tehran saying it can withstand the US economic pressure campaign. Growth in the EU is surprisingly resilliant and stronger than expected despite the conflict and supply chain disruptions. IDF attacks continue in southern Lebanon and Israel seizes a flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid destined for Gaza in international waters.

synchronoptica

one year ago: the Folkish Observer (with synchronopticæ) plus creating a data panopticon 

twelve years ago: US army updates allowable hairstyles plus the American Foreign Service

thirteen years ago: attuned cocktails plus new and novel punctuation

7x7 (13. 390)

crash blossoms: mentalist MC of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner guessed the name of expectant press secretary’s baby’s name seconds before shooting—via Super Punch 

akte x: a German expression to file something away, to bring a matter to conclusion from the Latin ad ācta  

a show of swords: direct democracy on display in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden  

cartel: the United Arab Emirates to quit OPEC after a sixty year membership  

euromaxxing: Hungary’s turn around—via Quantum of Sollazzo  

clausal stacking tolerance: a new test to parse the limits of lexical ambiguity—see previously

lihop, mihop: the language of manufactured crises and phoney outrage (now and then), the tone set by an individual vying for the Nobel Peace Prize yet threatening to destroy civilisations and celebrated the deaths of Rob Reiner and Robert Muller