perfect for roquefort cheese: 🇩🇰

Sunday, 30 August 2026

10x10 (13. 753)

cycle of cathay: a look at the etymology of the antiquated exonym

landslide: over three thousand dead and missing in the aftermath of Himalayan flood catastrophe

not the droids you’re looking for: a group of kids swede a brilliant remake Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

modern toss: the sweary comic workplace comic by Mick Bunnage and Jon Link honoured with an anniversary exhibition—via friend of the blog Nag on the Lake

non-zero probability: idiomatic extensions of Black Swan Events

pennywise: an homage to the gleeful villains of Tim Curry (RIP)

game, set, match: a gallery of tennis-related art ahead of the US Open

ice stupas: locals in the northern Indian desert valley are engineering artificial glaciers as a reservoir to safeguard water

skålspænder: a Viking woman’s grave uncovered in Jutland with surviving remnants of her clothing

nusantara: defining the maritime region of South East Asia by mapping its borders to the Java-based thalassocracy

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit (with synchronoptica), the origins of Fanta plus Trump’s lack of public appearances

two years ago: the K-Pop Fab Four plus weird academic book jackets

three years ago: artist Victor Ekpuk plus Higher Love (1986)

four years ago: a stylistic departure for the Byrds, Canada and the UK’s Manhattan Project plus more links to enjoy

five years ago: a news music anthology, even more links to check out, Hey Jude (1968) plus very strong animadversions

six years ago: the Moscow-Washington hotline (1963) plus lockdown fantasy levels

Wednesday, 26 August 2026

8x8 (13. 740)

and so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby: Kermit the Frog joins Dolly Parton for a 1987 appearance on her variety show, performing a duet of “Every Day People”

young artists after siamesas 1960: US state department orders removal of woke Kehinde Wiley painting (previously) at the Dominican embassy

pyramid of tirana: a survey of Albania’s built environment spanning sixty years—see previously

ilulissat icefjord: bracing and heartbreaking timelapse of an iceberg collapsing and rolling over in west-central Greenland—see also

synodical months: the cultural context of the upcoming August Sturgeon Moon—see previously

restoration architecture: explore Copenhagen’s urban reform initiatives to conserve its landmarks for sustainable tourism whilst preserving the city’s heritage and character

free press: Pentagon fires editor-in-chief, dismisses a reporter of independent military newspaper Stars & Stripes following an earlier overhaul to rid the publication of woke distractions

imagination library: Dolly Parton, giver of books

Wednesday, 19 August 2026

syddanmark (13. 722)

synchronoptica

one year ago: emasculating waters (with synchronoptica) plus frog song

two years ago: a remote Icelandic movie theatre (with synchronopticæ) plus the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran (1953)

three years ago: assorted links to revisit plus Saturday morning entertainment (1950)

four years ago: daguerrotype technology gifted to the world (1839)

five years ago: Martin Luther as a passive-aggressive coworker, Afghani independence (1919) plus the Lithuanian solar deity

six years ago: Sputnik-2 (1960) plus the album cover art of Milton Glaser

Tuesday, 18 August 2026

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.

Monday, 17 August 2026

ho (13. 717)

Though the Navi had guided us along Hovej multiple times, we deferred exploring the town and bay (Ho Bugt) until now. The short toponym for the waterway which gives its name to the village—a thatched reed houseboat for Ho by British artist Simon Starling who specialises in nautical themes engaging with vernacular architecture and local building media was added to the shore in 2023—comes from the Old Danish Hōi meaning trough or tub and a fjord (an inlet) that resembles one. The bay at the northern tip of the Wadden Sea was targeted for a major land reclamation project in 1941 but fortunately the sanctuary was spared from development over concerns that the removal would cause the channels in and out of Esjberg to quickly silt over. The nature reserve home to sea birds features an ellipse to let one walk out over the estuary—particularly at high tide.

Afterwards, returning to the campsite, we took a longer walk on the beach and explored the narrow footpaths through the lush littoral, getting a better look at the landmark called the Ringebjerge Båke (a historical beacon or seamark erected in 1884 that was until 1978 illuminated at night as a guide for passing ships) on the southern part of Vejers strand, with more gentle reminders that this area is a military training ground. The red ball raises to the top of the pole when there is an active exercise, warning civilians to stay away. A know-it-all neighbour at the camp grounds had told us that a major one was to take place early this week—I wondered how she might know—but has not materialised yet.