First reported by Norwegian news outlet Dagen Nรฆringsliv—and possibly the rather sad and pathetic intimation was even thought fit to print at all because dictator Trump brought up the topic again during his counterproductive, slapdash meeting with Putin—the president of the United States of America cold-called Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stรธre, ostensibly to discuss trade and tariffs—as well as when he might receive his Nobel peace prize, hinting that a more favourable levy might be in play should he be bestowed with the high honour. Former NATO secretary general and current finance minister Jens Stoltenberg was also in on the conversation, confirming it took place, adding it was not the first time that Trump brought up the topic. Shopped around before the joint Russian-US summit took place as more proof of his peace-making credentials, some countries, including Israel, Armenia, Pakistan, Cambodia and Azerbaijan have submitted nominations for Trump, letting him take the credit for brokering ceasefires in exchange for more punishing tariffs for their competitors—see also. Laureates are chosen by a committee of five members appointed yesterday the parliament of Norway with the announcement of the short-list coming in October. The hits don’t stop coming so it is hard to take a moment to reflect, but one has to wonder how such shameless deportment strikes the rest of the world with Americans with such a deficit of awareness of the consequences of their words and actions and could have elected this blithered, meritless man-child twice and lack the courage for course-correction. This global trade war is blatantly extortion as well with no substance behind it.
Sunday, 17 August 2025
new phone, who dis (12. 654)
Friday, 21 March 2025
10x10 (12. 325)
isolated dictatorship: Canadian MP urges citizens to avoid travel south of the border
sykkelinfrastruktur: an amazing bike tunnel in Bergen
incel camino: a new make and model for the Swasticar for all the domestic terrorists
four of swords: Hyperallergic’s tarotscope for the coming of Spring
fabio and the goose: Bobby Fingers (previously) reconstructs the encounter of harlequin novel author and pin-up’s encounter with a migrating bird whilst on a rollercoaster
arbour day: tree planting activities cancelled over anti-DEI posture
cats in outlines: the strangely gratifying effect of felines freezing in place
sorry—not sorry: a study of apologies gleaned from reality television
scylla and charybdis: the millennia-long aspirations to link Sicily with the mainland may soon come to pass
pin: an unnerving psychosexual horror Canadian horror film from 1988
Sunday, 10 November 2024
10x10 (11. 988)
the moral arc of the universe is buffering: an update on where we stand
intermission: Cardhouse’s 2024 mixtape
chimera: archaeologists re-examine ancient Roman burial and realise skeleton is composed of bones from eight different individuals that died thousands of years apart from one another
inactivity reboot: Apple quietly introduced a security patch in its latest OS update that makes it harder to police to break into confiscated iPhones—via Super Punch
plutocracy: the Elites have finally been defeated by the Billionaires
text-to-brainrot: convert any PDF into an engaging TikTok-style audio summarisation overlaid with video-game footage—see previously—via Web Curios
ye olde cheshire cheese: a gallery of the pubs of Old London
changing narratives: new genetic evidence of Pompeii victims suggest that they were strangers comforting each other during the world-ending calamity
the sounds of ramallah: techno Insomnia Fest in Tromsรธ rallies for Palestine and Lebanon
venture alchemists: Wall Street and the broader economy brace for Trump tax-cuts, tariffs and retribution
synchronoptica
one year ago: paper lanterns for St Martin’s Day (with synchronoptica), Republican primary debates, a banger from Frankie Goes to Hollywood plus assorted links to enjoy
seven years ago: illusion of confidence
eight years ago: snail matchmaking, a national nightmare plus Europe’s Alt-Right
nine years ago: carbon foil that mimics muscles
ten years ago: an art exhibition for octopi plus an abandoned nuclear test site just outside of Paris
Wednesday, 4 September 2024
9x9 (11. 814)
unpodcasted: one hundred ninety nine ideas about etymologies, idioms and eponyms that Helen Zaltzman has not produced an episode for—yet
book club: Oprah Winfrey’s upcoming special on Artificial Intelligence with Sam Altman, Bill Gates and other AI-evangelists has critics of the tech sector up in arms

sleepy grendel’s mother: Beotrump by Christopher Douglas
jevons paradox: even if autonomous vehicles worked perfectly, they will still lead to more pollution, congestion and accidents—see previously—via tmn
oslo—is it even a city: a wonderful bit of anti-advertising for the Norwegian capital plus more news and jokes
intel inside: Pentium microprocessor as Navajo weaving—via Waxy
nanowrimo: the organisation behind National Novel Writing Month criticised over labelling aversion to generative texts as classist and ableist
unblogged: fellow flรขneur Diamon Geezer lists a month’s worth of explorations not posted
synchronoptica
one year ago: The Eye of the Tiger (with synchronoptica), Kenneth Anger’s first film plus hot labour summer
seven years ago: the Little Ben of Victoria station
eight years ago: a visit to Churfrankenland plus an ant colony thriving in nuclear waste
nine years ago: assorted links to revisit plus algorithmic eavesdropping
eleven years ago: Germany votes plus pirate patches
Saturday, 13 July 2024
beaumont slope (11. 686)
In anticipation of eventual ratification of the 1994 UN treaty, the Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, see more), the United States quietly staked claim last month to its extended continental shelf in the Arctic so were it to become a signatory, it would be joining on its own terms with boundaries already delineated. The move did not go unnoticed as other member nations have also tried to assert, under the treaty, their own territorial reaches in the far north and the American declaration of what’s theirs by dint of geological affiliation, an area of the seabed the size of California which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Canada, Norway, Denmark and Russia, rather than political flag-planting and is seen as contentious and a sign of continued American exceptionalism, manifest destiny flouting customary and international law. More from Radio Free Europe at the link above.
synchronoptica
one year ago: the search for past life on Mars (with synchronoptica) plus the Hollywood sign (1923)
seven years ago: assorted links worth revisiting plus a million dollar heist
eight years ago: camping in Metz
nine years ago: missing the Dalai Lama plus the Bechdel Test
eleven years ago: a furlough for US federal workers, psychiatry and sainthood plus a choreographed panopticon
Friday, 3 May 2024
hjelp (11. 531)
This is cute. Previously we’ve posted about how internationally distributed entertainment is sometimes retitled for different audiences, but we didn’t known about this rather clever former convention employed in Norway to signal to viewers that the film was a foreign comedy with a simple and often hilarious formula of prefixing “Help” to a brief description of the situation, like Airplane! as “Help, we’re flying!” or the National Lampoon trilogy as “Help, We have to go on Vacation,” followed by “Help, We Have to go on European Vacation” and “Help, We Have to go on Christmas Vacation.” It’s sort of like the Carry On series. The practise began to wane in the 2000s with increasing English literacy in the country but some later domestic comedies have used the same taxonomy.
synchronoptica
one year ago: more on the Populuxe design movement, a space alphabet plus drone strikes over the Kremlin
two years ago: el Tres de Mayo (1808)
three years ago: NPR’s first broadcasting day, World Press Freedom Day plus the Benty Grange helmet
four years ago: Future Shock (1970), Cetacean Ops, a timeline of the pandemic, rock-paper-scissors not legally binding, more on Star Trek: TAS plus assorted links worth revisiting
five years ago: Sun Day, more links to enjoy plus nuisance lawsuits
Tuesday, 5 March 2024
omero nel baltico (11. 401)
Via the New Shelton wet/dry, we are directed towards an interesting academic speculation from amateur historian Felice Vinci who transposes the epic, decade-long, decade-delayed homecoming of Odysseus (see previously here and here) from the Mediterranean to the higher climes of the Baltic Seas. Positing that conditions during the Holocene Climate Optimum during the time of the Trojan War made northern Europe more like Greece, the main battleground was on the plains of Finland, with Circe’s Isle Jan Mayen Island, the Sirens and Cyclops on the Norwegian coast, shipbuilding Aetolian Pylene the German town of Plรถn and Thebes Stockholm. Though many of the toponyms in Homer’s poem are frustratingly nondescript (most believed that Troy was legendary until it was discovered) and malleable, like the Matter of Britain or Charlemagne’s heritage claimed by many peoples, Vinci’s theory is an intriguing idea but does not seem particularly convincing or rigorous and follows a tradition of projection and syncretism. Much more at the links above.
one year ago: The Jaywalker (1956), the Great Michigan Pizza Funeral (1973), more needful punctuation plus assorted links to revisit
two years ago: the Iron Curtain (1946), a cinematic preview in retrospect plus translation choices for a global product
three years ago: ultracrepidarian, photographer AL Schafer plus another MST3K classic
four years ago: assorted links to revisit, Sinclair Computers (1981) plus Disney’s back catalogue
five years ago: artist Gunta Slรถlzl, parcours, Florida Man plus the Odyssey as a cruise itinerary
Thursday, 21 December 2023
the ancient yuletide carol (11. 200)
Though conventions of the neopagan Wheel of the Year observes the holiday on the Winter/Summer Solstice, traditionally Yule fell later on the calendar and centred around Midwinter Night, a distinct date that falls several weeks later and corresponds to the first full Moon of beginning the month of รfterra Gฤola (Second Yule, roughly corresponding with the Julian month of January). We know of this rescheduling due to documentation in the Saga of Haakon the Good of Norway, ruler during the Christianisation phase in the mid-tenth century, king and country mutually hiding their faith from one another to avoid friction, and synchronising yuletide festivities with Christmas, and mandating that all Norwegians celebrate under punishment of fines. Once Haakon solidified his power and earned the trust of the people, the king imported bishops from England and had them preach throughout the kingdom.
synchronoptica
one year ago: The Czar Wants to Sleep, assorted links to revisit, the American insurrection that nearly happened over WWII plus works entering the public domain
two year ago: the breakaway Republic of Fredonia, Peter Canisius, Jack Russells plus season’s greetings from Tolkien
three years ago: vรฉvรฉ symbols plus the world’s first crossword puzzle
four years ago: more links to enjoy
five years ago: negative fireworks, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright inscribed in the UNESCO register plus a very Rex Factor Christmas
Thursday, 20 July 2023
hrรณlfr (10. 896)
Following his uncertain defeat on this day in 911 in the Siege of Chartres, the Viking leader Rollo entered into negotiations with Frankish king Charles III, called the Simple (Carolus Simplex) and despite his loss in battle, as a result of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, discussed in person between the two figures was granted the Duchy of Normandy, having rejected the offer of Flanders as uncultivable, and the king’s daughter Princess Gisela in exchange for Rollo’s oath of fealty and conversion to Christianity—plus protection from general Viking brigandry as well as agreeing to halt his own raids—see also. As the first duke of the realm, his immediate heirs, William Longsword (Guillaume Longue-รpรฉe) and Richard I, Sans-Peur established Normandy as a formidable principality and his great-great-great grandson, one William the Conquerer, went on to found the Angevin and Plantagenet dynasties.
synchronoptica
one year ago: a special cocktail to celebrate the lunar landing plus visiting Aberdeenshire
two years ago: more adventures in Sweden
three years ago: St Wilgefortis
four years ago: the abstract art of Fritz Glarner, Viking I on Mars (1976), Operation Valkyrie (1944) plus the Apollo landing (1969)
five years ago: more on the American gun cult, Radio Free Europe, a poorly executed extinction bell that’s somehow apt, a remixed School House Rock! for turbulent times plus on in-fixes and tmesis
Tuesday, 4 July 2023
contrafactum (10. 855)
Lyrics written by Andover, Massachusetts seminarian Samuel Francis Smith to the melody of the British royal anthem, God Save the King, the above adaptation reworking the tune from a symbol and trapping of monarchy to a statement about American democracy, “My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” was first performed for Independence Day celebrations in 1831 and became one of the two de facto national anthems (along side the patriotic number “Hail Columbia”—the march of the vice-president) until the adoption of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” exactly a century later. The implementation of the tune and musical salute (which also exists in Latin, peace-time and Republican—God save the Guillotine—versions) for another national song, however, was not new and contrafacta arrangements were used, usually connected with royal ceremony, and still used in Liechtenstein (Oben am jungen Rhein), Norway (Kongesangen) and Switzerland (Rufst du, mein Vaterland, until 1961 when replaced the National Hymne) formerly used in the kingdoms of Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria and imperial Russia.
synchronoptica
one year ago: nebulas were known as guest stars
two years ago: Occupied Austria (1945) plus flowers in the woods
three years ago: American Top 40 (1970), Nixon’s Honor America Day (1970) plus more on spelling conventions
four years ago: Annual Reminder (1969) plus the Sky Disc of Nebra discovered (1999)
five years ago: more adventures on Lake Garda
Wednesday, 31 May 2023
whale of a tale (10. 779)
A highly sociable beluga whale, a local celebrity nicknamed Hvaldimir, a portmanteau of the Norwegian word for whale plus the first name of Russian president Putin—long suspected as being used for espionage, trained and outfitted with a harness believed to gather intelligence and telemetry on Nordic waters, has been sighted off the coast of the Sweden. Activists and onlookers, considered for the whale’s safety and well-being, possibly retired from spying already although that is not clear, are aiming to re-socialise with others of his pod and rehabilitate him. More from NPR at the link above.
Friday, 24 February 2023
the great bรธyg of etnedal (10. 569)
Accompanied by an original score by Edvard Grieg that includes two of the most recognisable pieces of classical music, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and “Morning Mood,” Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, chronicling the journey of the titular protagonist from his home in Norway to Egypt and back again, premiered on this day in Oslo (then known as Christiania) in 1876. A social satire struggling with modernism with both pastoral and surreal portrayals of characters and calamities as our dissolute anti-hero comes to understand the consequences of his actions and the nature of responsibility—regardless whether or not accepted, its underlying message is echoed succinctly in the line: “If you lie; are you real?”
Wednesday, 9 November 2022
6x6 (10. 288)
elektrisk kjรธretรธy: a retrospective look at how A-ha inspired and informed Norway’s early adoption of electric vehicles—via Things Magazine
taposiris magna: archaeologists discover a nearly mile long tunnel deep under a temple near Alexandria on the search for Cleopatra’s lost tomb—via Damn Interesting’s Curated Links

stenography: more on shorthand (see previously) in ancient Greek and Roman texts
nit-picking: oldest inscription bearing a full sentence found on a Canaanite comb
terrain de stationnement: France to require all existing and new parking lots to be covered with solar panels
Wednesday, 19 October 2022
hunting high and low (10. 238)
The first Norwegian group to do so, A-Ha's signature single—see previously—topped the US Billboard’s Hot 100 first on this day in 1985, remaining in the rankings for a total of twenty-seven weeks, following success in the UK charts and the release of the accompanying music video the most prior. This second, more recognisable rotoscoped music video (the first from 1984 only features the band performing in front of a blue background) illustrates the romantic, plaintive narrative of a comic book hero coming to life and was directed by Steve Barron, whose other credits include “Billie Jean,” “Money for Nothing,” “Africa,” and “Don’t You Want Me Baby,” winning multiple awards.
Monday, 17 October 2022
7x7 (10. 232)
cheesewrights and turophiles: Noรซlle Janaczewska on the culinary and artistic history of cheese
causal observer: a teenager in Trondhjem called Christian Charlotte Elster captured various scenes of Regency-Era Norway in the early nineteenth century–via Messy Nessy Chic

putinversteher: Russian leadership enlisting influential mouthpieces to convince Western governments to accede to their narratives–see previously
kukla, fran & ollie: a Youtube channel working to conserve and put on-line over seven hundred episodes of the 1950s puppet theatre–via r/ObscureMedia
parlement technologies: the rapper formerly known as Kanye West announces plans to purchase rightwing friendly social media site
la pyramide des saveurs: France’s reigning and unrivaled Queen of Cheeses, Nathalie Quartrehomme
Tuesday, 5 July 2022
nansen-pass
First issued on this day in 1922 under sanction of the League of Nations—and officially designated as passports for stateless persons but quickly became popularly known for their chief champion, polar explorer, polymath and statesman Fridtjof Nansen (previously)—these travel documents were a way of mitigating the turmoil in Europe after World War I which lead to a crisis of displaced persons, refugees resulting from the overthrow of governments, redrawn national boundaries, and advanced ultimately by the announcement by the newly constituted Soviet Union that it would be revoking the citizenship of Russians residing abroad—applying also to the nearly one-million individuals who fled during the civil war. Two years later, Nansen in his role at the League of Nations as High Commissioner for Refugees (earning him a Nobel Peace Prize), expanded the arrangement tto include former areas of the Ottoman Empire and help Armenian and Turkish migrants. While issuance halted in 1938, under the auspices of the United Nations certificates of identity and refugee travel documents continue to be a necessity. Notable bearers of Nansen passports include Igor Stravinsky, Elvis Presley’s agent Colonel Tom Parker, shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, Marc Chagall and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Monday, 16 May 2022
6x6
dandelion wine: slow drinks made with our favourite noxious weed—see also
give that wolf a banana and before that wolf eats my grandma: Norway’s Eurovision entry—via Nag on the Lake’s Sunday Links
stablecoin: the collapse of NFT and crypto markets
for every bear that ever there was: 1984 reportage of Keanu Reeves covering a teddy bear convention for the CBC—via Everlasting Blรถrt
homeostatic awakening: new developments in the Fermi paradox—see previously here and here
quattro bianchi: Italy’s answer to the Long Island Iced Tea packs a wallop
Saturday, 12 March 2022
7x7
w / n / p / a/: the beauty and brutality of the natural world—via Web Curios
fly around: a happy tune from Bill Wurtz—via Waxy
theatrum orbis terrarum: the first modern world atlas, created and published in Antwerp in 1571 by Abraham Ortelius
llรชn gwerin: illustrated Welsh cats from 1910
grand tour: visit the great cities of Europe all within the confines of Ohio—see also
best in show: a selection of the superlative entries for the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards—some are quite accidentally like a Renaissance painting
Thursday, 3 February 2022
7x7
1:12: a 1983 architectural magazine’s call for dollhouses
way-finder: a friendly reminder about the most important app ever made
fisheye lens: a floating exhibit platform showcases Norwegian aquaculture practises
philately: a brilliant abecedarium (see previously) of vintage postage stamps from around the world
tensor strength: researchers engineer new material that can absorb and release enormous amounts of energy—like super-charged rubber band, via Slashdot
the vault of contemporary art: a collection of architectural sketches and schematics from a Things Magazine omnibus post on the subject
Saturday, 1 January 2022
rogue waves
Distinct from tsunamis, killer waves—defined as reaching twice the height of waves in a wave record—occur in open-water as a convergence of constructive interference and other conditions but were considered at best anecdotal, tall-tales and the stuff of maritime myth until quite recently when one was detected on New Year’s Day in 1995 and measured by instruments housed on the Draupner gas pipeline support platform in the North Sea. Subsequent research has shown the phenomenon to be a common one, occurring in multiple media, including finance and has been retroactively used to account for shipping accidents, including the 1975 sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and the iconic titular wave portrayed in The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai.