It was another crazy work week. This is the new normal. Next week brings some work travel, and a short work week besides, which does not at all diminish the amount of work I will need to complete in the next seven days.
The crazy and chaotic weather of last week revisited Grand Rapids this week in the form of some minor flooding along the Grand River. On Friday after work I drove out to Riverside Park and took a brief walk. The river was high but not disastrously so. The air was warm and the park was full of pedestrians. It was good to get outside for a few minutes.
Reading
Last week I picked up a few poetry books, and this week I am reading them. All of them are good. A couple of them are very good.
Writing
As always, nothing to speak of.
Weekly Writing Prompt
Subject: Spiritual Beings, Possession
Setting: Outpost
Genre: Lovecraftian
Listening
Black 47, “James Connolly”.
Interesting Links
The usual roundup of the Iran War roundup threads from Naked Capitalism.
- “Iran War: US Being Driven From Iraq, Tells Americans to Leave; Iran Keeps Pounding Israel, Gulf States; Trump Calls on Other Countries Including China to Send Warships, Effectively Threatens to Use Nukes; FCC Threatens to Pull Broadcast Licenses Over War Reporting” (2026.03.15)
- “Iran War: Trump Administration Attempts to Deny Long Conflict Risk; Trump Threatens NATO Over Hormuz Scheme; Kinetic and Economic Situation More Desperate Than Acknowledged” (2026.03.16)
- “Iran War: No Uptake to Trump Plea for Help With Opening Strait of Hormuz; Israel Claims Assassination of Iran Security Chief; Iran Clarifies That Friendly Countries Can Transit, Strikes UAE Terminal at Fajarah, Trump Delays Xi Summit” (2026.03.17)
- “Iran War: Joe Kent Resignation Bombshell; US Deploys Bunker-Busters Near Strait of Hormuz; Iran Makes Retaliatory Strikes on Israel, Across Gulf for Ali Larijani Assassination; Real World Oil Prices Diverge from Paper Oil” (2026.03.18)
- “Iran War: Leap Up Escalation Ladder with Israel//US Attack on Iran Gas Field, Nuclear Plant, Iran Retaliation on Qatar Gas Facilities, Other Energy Infrastructure Across Region; MSM Initial Under-Reporting Not Blunting Surge in UK, EU Gas Prices;” (2026.03.19)
- “Iran War: Even as Breakdowns and Lasting Damage Mount, Denial, Normalcy Bias, and Arrogance of the Belligerents Will Produce a Long and Highly Destructive War” (2026.03.20)
- “Iran War: Trump Escalates via Preparation for Ground Assault; Israel Takes More Pounding, Husbands Air Defenses; Coming Helium, Jet Fuel Shortages; Prospects for Vastly Higher Oil Prices” (2026.03.21)