Friday Miscellany

1. Denmark plans to reassert its sovereignty over Hans Island, which’s ownership is also claimed by spunky upstart Canada:
   

   The Arctic patrol cutter Tulugaq will attempt to reach the 1.3-square-kilometre Hans Island, which is claimed by both countries, in late August if the ice permits, navy spokesman Alex Jensen said.
   [...]
   “If we manage to reach the island, we will hoist a new Danish flag. We’re trying to change the flags as often as possible because they are quickly torn apart by the strong winds,” Jensen said by telephone from the Danish navy base on Greenland’s west coast.

   “As it looks now, the ice situation may not allow us to reach the island. But we will try to get as far north as possible,” he said. Danish navy ships have only been able to visit the island three times since 2020 because of the thick Arctic ice around it.

   I’ve been chuckling at Canadian sovereignty for yonks, of course, but now that there’s beer on the line I’m crossing my fingers for a sudden attack of global warming. Go Tulugaq go!

2. I’ve caved to peer pressure (again) and gotten a flickr account. And already used up my upload bandwidth for the month. Woo woo!
3. I’m sure you’ve all been holding your breaths to find out What I Thought About Harry Potter… and the answer is, meh. It’s interesting that Snape seems to attract the most discussion; I predict that his n-tuple-crosses will turn out to have been the result of base cowardice, and in the final installment he will explode with suicidal guilt in the nick of time. It’ll come off as brave, but merely the bravery of a man with nothing more to lose.

Random Ten under the fold.

1. Stephane Grappelli - Shades of Django - Lover Come Back to Me
2. dEUS - In a Bar, Under the Sea - Theme from Turnpike
3. Bjork - Vespertine - Unison
4. Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen - Missing the War
5. Chumbawamba - She’s Got All the Friends
6. Mark McKay - I Know You Rider
7. Suleskær - Over Havet - Rolling down to Old Maui
8. The Indecisives - Indestructible - Monstro
9. Oysterband - Deserters - All That Way for This
10. Noe Venable - No Curses Here - Mr. Viper