notruf

Despite being introduced as a universal, Europe-wide emergency number in 1991 with support for mobile phones and geographic messaging services fully integrated in 2008, subsequent public polls still consistently show a paucity of knowledge in how to ring the police or fire department in a panic, so since 2009, the European Union has commemorated this number on its corresponding calendar date to increase awareness and promote its appropriate use.
Local legacy conventions in many cases still summon a first-responder or redirect—like 999 for Anglophone areas (introduced in 1937 in response to a calamitous house fire at a London boarding house), 911 (1968, which I suppose just slightly faster to dial if one were using a fiddly rotary phone) for those regions historically connected to the United States (Panama, the Philippines, Liberia among others) and 101, 102, or 103—depending on the nature of one’s emergency—in Russia and former Soviet satellites. It’s interesting how one’s sphere of influence—independence and aspirations—are reflected here as well.

minecraft or tunnel and winze

Operating on the same principle as the Sisyphus Train though perhaps with more physical obstacles to contend with, the always interesting BLDG Blog reports that a firm in Scotland is exploring the feasibility of turning the region’s exhausted and disused deep shaft mines into storehouses of potential energy.
When production of renewable energy exceeds demand, surplus electricity would be diverted to raising an enormous weight from the depths of the collieries up to the surface then reclaiming the energy once it is needed by lowering the counterbalance. I wonder what other superannuated technology and infrastructure might also be repurposed in an act that virtually entails reinterning and secreting away the polluting first drivers of industry.  Much more to explore at the link above. 

thronfolgerin und kingmaker

Fallout from state elections in Thüringen over the weekend which saw the unseating of the left-leaning incumbent Budo Ramelow and replaced him a business-friendly (FDP, Free Democrats’ Party) minister president, who carried the election through a coalition vote that saw the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), centre-right, voting with the extreme-right Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) party with the newly elected FDP official—something akin to a state governor in America, nearly immediately resigning and calling for a new election—has prompted Angela Merkel’s designated successor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, nom de guerre AKK (see also), to announce that she would not stand for chancellorship in 2021 and would step down as chair of the CDU. Finding what AfD stands for to be antithetical to everything that the CDU has worked towards, Kramp-Karrenbauer had the presence of mind to doubt whether she could fulfill both roles and acknowledged that separating party leadership from the chancellery would severely weaken the CDU’s position. Kramp-Karrenbauer, who was also tasked as Defence Minister once Ursula von der Leyen departed to assume presidency of the European Commission, will continue in that role and focus her efforts on reforming and rehabilitating the German military.

armchair quarterback

Though it is sometimes difficult to confront one’s own shortcomings and gladiatorial instincts that we hope to dress-up as and therefore translate to political engagement, there’s a danger in political hobbyism and its self-curatorial overreach that compels one to share and to share passionately with expertise and insight but then fails many of us when it comes to follow-through.
The social media, network news takedown that Hidden Brain accompanies us on is harsh but fair and we ought to aspire to dislodge this trend that dilutes political engagement (surely by design) into something akin to collecting crafts, recipes and destinations, the allotment thereof cultivating our own image. Those efforts are important too and real labour but also proves taxing and leaves many of us too exhausted to act on our platforms. We find ourselves tantalized with the apex of politics to the neglect of the nadir—those issues that we can impact (also obfuscated and shoved off as dull or irrelevant by those who would wield power rather than be spectators) and multiply the impact of our individual votes and restores democracy by dint of participation.

disaster gurl or this is not a drill

Courtesy of friend of the blog, the Everlasting Blört’s daily Trump digest we are treated to his Orange Menace placed in squarely in context—with the stain of impeachment just as indelible as leftover spaghetti warmed-over despite whatever theatrical victory-laps he feels he might be entitled to.
Dialling up the contrast or not, the photographer behind this image, while not an official member of the press corps or part of the crew that documents White House—is at least credentialed to be on the periphery of his subject’s comings and goings. The meme that Trump is superimposed on itself seemed rather sinister without insight into its framing: back in 2004, a local fire department was conducting some live-training and a father and daughter went to see the action, the photographer capturing her image as she realised her picture was being taken. The photograph and derivative images went viral beginning in October 2008 when it was first propagated by BuzzFeed. Disaster Girl, Zoe Roth whom her father still showcases, accepts the attention and fame but is not happy when the remixes go too dark but we think she’d approve of her meme limning this dumpster fire.

splendid isolation

Having heard the phrase I suppose outside of geopolitical contexts, I wasn’t sure what meaning to attach to it until discovering that it referred to British reluctance in entering permanent alliances with outside powers from around the time of the Congress of Vienna in 1814 that helped establish and more or less maintain the European balance of power through 1902 and the Boer War and the eventual Entente Cordiale with France that helped both colonial powers retain their grip in the Far East.
The formative Victorian policy of avoidance in world affairs was extoled and lamented by George Eulas Foster in January 1896, Canadian political scientist and long-serving parliamentarian, in the waning years of the policy—though no one could have predicted the end and what was to follow: “In these somewhat troublesome days when the Great Mother Empire stands splendidly isolated in Europe.” Generally it is now understood as a naïve belief that power dynamics are largely self-regulating and will correct themselves (like laisse-faire economics) despite or because of one’s lack of involvement and that allies are unnecessary for settling disputes with a third party.

rank and file

Like the exquisite but diminutive game piece itself we nearly overlooked this incredible find (see also) that provides a tangible link between the activity of Lindisfarne and the Viking raids and subjugation that began at the dawn of the ninth century.
On learning that the finely crafted bauble is speculated to be playable character of an ancient Viking board game, akin to chess (ibidem as it turns out), called hnefatafl my memory was jogged and there’s quite a bit of resonance to an artefact that suggests how these imagined ruthless plunders brought along their pastimes and distractions to the equally imagined milieu of desperate poverty and privation.

herbaceous

Having just had its second jumbo iteration of blooming after the bulb sprouted after Christmas, the Hippeastrum—a South American evergreen flower related to the African bulbs called Amaryllis. First described and classified by nineteenth century British botanist William Herbert, who also specialised in crocuses and tulips as well as the more useful bulbous plants like garlic and onions and has the standard authorial abbreviation Herb. in botanical context (another example of nominative determinism), its name means Knight’s Star lily (Rittersterne) in Latin and like our friend the poinsettia need to be cajoled and tricked into blooming during wintertime, but are robust enough to be transplanted (with some study and care) and return year after year.