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The 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquake

On the 6th of February 2023 at 04:17 TRT a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Türkiye and north-western Syria. As of this writing the quake has killed over 50,000 people, with over 120,000 injured, the great majority of them in Tűrkiye. There have been over 2100 aftershocks, with over 230 of those registering M4.0 or higher. Regional support was swift to Syria, with Russian troops still stationed in Syria aiding in rescue and relief efforts, not so much in Tűrkiye. More than 80 countries have offered material aid and assistance. Absent from those 80 were Western nations until very recently. The chart is rather interesting for several reasons. The quake is already having geopolitical effects, too. For more, read on… Continue reading “The 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquake”

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The Great American Balloon Panic of 2023

On 16th of February 2023 grave fears were expressed for the plight of a hobby balloon launched by the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB). Their balloon has gone missing. The fear is it was shot down by the USAF with a heat-seeking missile. Why the Air Force would have used a heat-seeking missile on a $12 hobby balloon is a mystery, because the balloon had no on-board propulsion or other technology that would emit heat. There must have been some really nefarious tech on-board that balloon. To their credit, NIBBB is not as yet pointing fingers at the USAF, but the disappearance comes on the heels of other balloons similarly shot down, if indeed their balloon was popped by the USAF. This is a developing story. For more, read on… Continue reading “The Great American Balloon Panic of 2023”

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The 2023 East Palestine train derailment

I have had a fascination with trains since I can remember. As a small child my parents used to take me to the rail yards after church on Sunday and let me have a gander at all the rail cars and diesel locomotives. Then one of them would board a passenger train with me for a ride to the next town. The other parent would meet us there. It was a Sunday ritual. The things parents do for their kids. Those days are long gone, but my fascination with trains remains. So, when I hear about a rail incident, like the recent one in East Palestine, OH, I want to know all about it. What follows here are the results of my investigations… Continue reading “The 2023 East Palestine train derailment”