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-seven (13. 723)

Meeting with the Iraqi prime minister in Baghdad, Iran’s speaker of parliament speculates that the US is seeking an „honorable exit“ from the region as the two nations forge security alliance in preparation for a Middle East free from foreign interference—whilst working to counter American supported Kurdish rebels. Tehran further reckons the damage to the country, excluding the capital, from the joint US-Israeli war of aggression to amount to two hundred billion dollars. The IDF continues patrolling Gaza and erects a gallows to hang Hamas militants as the occupied territory faces a thirst crisis over a failing water utility and settler violence persists in the West Bank. NATO, despite limited confidence that the US would honour an invocation of Article V after allies wanted no part in its war of choice, pledges to defend all members after a supposed threat against Bulgaria and Cyprus for their hosting of American assets—which strikes as propaganda from Washington, as Iran retains better standing in this unpopular military adventure and has no interest in widening its belligerents and lessening its perception as victims. A false flag terror attack elsewhere in Europe on a US base seems more likely and the excuse to leave the continent and turn inward for the administration’s policy of hemispheric domination.

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

danmarks flymuseum (13. 721)

day one hundred sixty-six (13. 720)

Contradicting the characterization of his own special envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner that „robust“ talks are continuing, Trump declares that there are no more negotiations with Tehran happening—adding, contrary to reality, that the Strait of Hormuz is open and operational under US control. The fallout from the American withdrawal from the Pacific is perceived as an abandonment of Taiwan and South Korea with no action needed on the part of Beijing and Pyongyang. The resupply issues facing the carrier group the USS Abraham Lincoln were exacerbated, it is revealed, due to secretary of war Hegseth‘s wanting to hide the extent of destruction to naval stations in the region from the public. The UAE suspends all commercial trade with Iran over alleged missile strikes. Concurrently, Abu Dhabi hosts a security conference with US secretary of state Rubio, against Tehran‘s repeated warnings to gulf neighbors not to cooperate with Washington lest be treated as collaborators.

operation paul bunyan (13. 719)

On this day in 1976, in an assignment taking place on the southern side of the “Bridge of No Return” near Panmunjon (see previously here and here), the joint security area of the DMZ where both sides were allowed access and freedom of movement in the shared Peace Village, to prune a tree that was obscuring the view from South Korea from their northernmost observation post, two soldiers were killed by North Korean forces trying to stop the trimming job, despite being pre-approved by both governments. DEFCOM was raised from three to four for the first time since the Arab-Israeli war three years prior. In response, three days later, the US carried out a show of force, consisting of a detachment of three-hundred American servicemen supported by helicopter gunships and B-52 fighter-bombers, to reemphasise US to protect the territorial integrity of South Korea, finished the job of felling the twelve-metre tall poplar that had caused the international incident, which otherwise would have only lost a few branches.

 

synchronoptica

one year ago: a more cordial meeting of the leaders of the US and Ukraine (with synchronoptica) plus the Society for the Verification and Enjoyment of Fascinating Names of Actual Persons

two years ago: a philosophical cartoon plus amplified contagion

three years ago: divine connections plus more mushrooming

four years ago: the Feast of St Helen, a historic glider flight plus more unuseless machines

five years ago: your daily demon, more disfluent typefaces, masking mandates, Schoolhouse Rock! plus the promise of a fully phonetic font

six years ago: AI generated Roman emperors, Michelle Obama virtually addresses the Democratic National Convention, women’s suffrage in the United States (1920), Republican Nation Convention guest speakers, more constructed languages, data-visualisations as art plus forty adaptations of Hamlet

day one hundred sixty-five (13. 718)

As the sixty-day negotiation period expires, Tehran declares that it will take an offensive approach to reopening the Strait of Hormuz as Washington’s diplomatic tactlessness has only resulted in violation and frustration. Simultaneously, Trump threatens to bomb Oman if the country—a US ally and considered the Switzerland of the Gulf region for its relative neutrality and inoffensive political stance—interferes with the stalled talks, adding that Iran should wave the white flag of surrender. Houthi attack another Saudi ship transiting the Bab-el-Mandeb and Iran places a bounty on American soldiers.

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.

 

synchronoptica

one year ago: signifiers of etiquette (with synchronoptica), Trump’s Nobel ambitions plus Müritzer cheese

 

two years ago: design one’s own Amsterdam, AI or Die, license to serve plus assorted links to revisit

three years ago: more links to enjoy plus the final Ring cycle (1876)

four years ago: ABBA’s last album plus even more links

five years ago: assorted links worth revisiting, the world’s first animated film (1908), significant digits plus cartographic gaps

six years ago: a tragedy at Uluru (1980),  Operation Warp Speed plus the dotted and dotless i