It was good to wake up to sunshine breaking through the clouds this morning. My brain wasn't as foggy as it was yesterday, but still slow after a fair night's sleep. Clare went out to her study group meeting. I spent the morning making a Passiontide Morning Prayer video slideshow and then cooked lunch in time for her return.
News of key figures in Iran's military and security leadership being assassinated by the Israelis. Trump is using threats about the future of the NATO alliance in an attempt to coerce other nations to back America in fighting for control of the Straight of Hormuz. Trump wants to fight but nobody else does it seems. He behaves like a bull in a china shop.
The impact of closure is having big repercussions for the world economy as well as that of the Gulf States. The effect on the American economy Reluctant responses to anything Trump proposes are to be expected. His leadership is regarded as unreliable, his unilateral launching of attacks on Iran without a declaration of war is deemed illegal by many. "This is not our war, we have not started it" said the German Defence Minister. Britain retains a defensive posture and is discussing with allies how it may be possible to get the Straight open to traffic again. Diplomacy rather than threat of force is preferred.
Israel, backed by America wages war on Iranian backed Hezbollah displacing a million people from their homes, killing over 880 in attacks around Beirut - 5,200 have been killed in Lebanon since the October 7th attack two and a half years ago. It's like a repeat of the war on Gaza. Iran retaliates with drone attacks on Gulf States wherever it can undermine welfare and security. In the background, Russia supplies drones and target intelligence to Iran. Both countries are subject to heavy sanctions and have a close military and economic alliance.
Today's Radio Four programme 'Inside Health' had an article about the rise of antibiotic resistant bacterial infection. Medical research identifies a link between heavy metal pollution weakening the body's immune system reaction to bacteria. This has been noticed in war zones where munitions with armour piercing tungsten hardened tips are in use. The modern battlefield is a very toxic environment. Bacteria travel far and wide in contact with humans. So do heavy metal toxins. Concern has been expressed recently about atmospheric pollution generated by rockets and satellites burning up on re-entry, raising the concentration of lithium in the air. The carbon footprint of industrial scale computer data processing servers used for AI is also a growing cause for environmental concern given the increasing pace of global heating and climate instability. Modern warfare, industry and technological progress are achieved at the cost of mother earth. One way or another, human beings are in danger of destroying the planet and making themselves extinct.
I walked around Thompson's Park and Llandaff Fields after lunch. Our neighbour Rob was out walking in the street again, a few days after a hip replacement operation. I saw him again later sitting on a park bench in Llandaff Fields, enjoying the sun and fresh air after a few days of confinement. Muscle stiffness made going up the occasional gradient a bit laborious and left me mildly breathless. Unusual for me.
When Rachel was here after Christmas she worked on the guitar that belonged to my late niece Kay. One of the tuning keys was broken and needed replacing. Clare purchased one several months ago but I've not got around to fitting it until now. It was a slightly tricky job as there was a small square hole in the key and the end of the tuning peg was round and slightly larger than the hole. An effort to insert the key forcibly would risk shattering it. A month ago, I discovered a set of tiny drill bits of different sizes used by Clare in making jewellery. A few of them were small enough to make it possible to widen the square hole in the key just enough to accommodate the end of the tuning peg. It meant using a heavy electric drill on the key wedged into a jewellery vice, using one of the tiny abrasive drill heads. Although I was uncertain that my concentration would hold for long enough, I succeeded in making a tiny circular hole in the key that was a right fit for the tuning peg, without breaking it. Good for my confidence. One small step in the brain fog!
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