Great Bitter Lake Association, the Sort-of-Micronation Formed in the Suez Canal(99percentinvisible.org)
99percentinvisible.org
Great Bitter Lake Association, the Sort-of-Micronation Formed in the Suez Canal
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/great-bitter-lake-association/
58 comments
I was fully expecting this to be about a micronation founded by the crews of the stranded freighters last week. Wouldn't have been the strangest thing to happen recently.
I did see a few ships that were attached to each other; would not be surprised if the crews had a get-together on there. I mean they would all have been quarantined for weeks already (broadly speaking), so low chance of getting the 'rona.
I had seen one comment on here suggesting we fly over there and start a Burning Man Middle East[1].
> Days of partying in the desert, opening random containers, driving little excavators.
Oh what could have been...
[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26590033
> Days of partying in the desert, opening random containers, driving little excavators.
Oh what could have been...
[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26590033
That's a great way to end up in turbo-prison en route to execution -- unless you're a prince of some sort. They're not a fan of drugs, to put it mildly.
>They're not a fan of Market Competition,...
Me too, it would be bound to happen if they would start to be stuck longer that they did.
Without a second ship at the other end to trap people in, no one was gonna be stuck more than a couple weeks; they'd all eventually decide to unload at a port or go around Africa.
The 1.5 million beer bottles sounded like a gross exaggeration, but with 14 ships, over 8 years, that's about 34 bottles per day per ship, which makes it seem potentially plausible for a bunch of very bored sailors, depending on how big the skeleton crews were.
I like that apparently some form of agreement was reached to keep them well supplied.
I like that apparently some form of agreement was reached to keep them well supplied.
I would imagine a surrogate market has been made using beer as a form of payment or currency.
Reminds me of a few years ago. We did a fishing trip on vacation in Costa Rica. Just myself and my wife, and two crew members on the fishing boat.
We came across a giant trawling boat and the captain of our fishing boat asked if we wanted to change what we were fishing for. We said yes, and our guys gathered a bunch of random stuff from the galley and put it into a plastic sack: open bags of chips, beer, soda, other snacks, etc.
We pulled up next to the trawler and the captain negotiated a trade: our food and drinks for a giant basket of their bait.
Both boats ended up happy and we had a great time using their bait!
We came across a giant trawling boat and the captain of our fishing boat asked if we wanted to change what we were fishing for. We said yes, and our guys gathered a bunch of random stuff from the galley and put it into a plastic sack: open bags of chips, beer, soda, other snacks, etc.
We pulled up next to the trawler and the captain negotiated a trade: our food and drinks for a giant basket of their bait.
Both boats ended up happy and we had a great time using their bait!
This is an excellent post. Bear in mind it's a transcription of a podcast episode (And my advise would be to hear it).
The last time this one was on HN it got me hooked on podcasts. 99% is usually of a good quality, but this episode was just too good.
The last time this one was on HN it got me hooked on podcasts. 99% is usually of a good quality, but this episode was just too good.
Surprisingly interesting read, I had never heard of this.
After 8 years - only the German ships where able to make it out under their own steam!
Only if we build things like we used to... West Germany and Germany in general has been known for the reliability and durability of their goods. German quality is top notch.
I’d guess it was as much an issue of keeping up regular maintenance as the initial quality of the vessels. I mean, if your ship was stuck in one place for years it’d be pretty natural to start letting things slide...
i would think so as well. Where are ships made anyway? It's more like only the Germans cared enough (about the ship or the cargo) to maintain it. I very much doubt the other companies were negligent.
The US ship might have been able to steam out had it not been sunk by an errant missile from the neighboring war.
IIRC Sealand sells post cards, as part of its general merchandise thing (along with nobility titles). Not sure about stamps though.
Another quasi-governmental curio is that, again IIRC, Spain has several, maybe even a dozen or something, local currencies. All being traded just fine in their communities. (I think the US also has or had at least a couple, though those were essentially just checks of some co-op banks, and thus nothing new in the country.)
Also I remember reading about a currency established by a gang that controlled a part of a city—and which currency ended up being used more actively in the city than the country's currency, because it was more stable. Don't recall where it was: possibly northern Africa, maybe Ethiopia or Eritrea.
Another quasi-governmental curio is that, again IIRC, Spain has several, maybe even a dozen or something, local currencies. All being traded just fine in their communities. (I think the US also has or had at least a couple, though those were essentially just checks of some co-op banks, and thus nothing new in the country.)
Also I remember reading about a currency established by a gang that controlled a part of a city—and which currency ended up being used more actively in the city than the country's currency, because it was more stable. Don't recall where it was: possibly northern Africa, maybe Ethiopia or Eritrea.
> Spain has several, maybe even a dozen or something, local currencies. All being traded just fine in their communities.
I've lived in Spain for decades, never heard of such thing. Depending how you count you could argue there are a dozen spoken languages, but currencies? That requires a big citation.
I've lived in Spain for decades, never heard of such thing. Depending how you count you could argue there are a dozen spoken languages, but currencies? That requires a big citation.
Might've mistaken with Basque country in particular and France in general—guess I majorly botched all those vague recollections in the comment.
Wikipedia lists four local currencies in France: Abeille, Eusko, Krôkô, Occitan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_currency). And also says, “The eusko is one of a number of currencies that are active in the Basque Country”.
Though apparently the UK has about five current and four past community currencies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_community_currencies_i...
Wikipedia lists four local currencies in France: Abeille, Eusko, Krôkô, Occitan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_currency). And also says, “The eusko is one of a number of currencies that are active in the Basque Country”.
Though apparently the UK has about five current and four past community currencies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_community_currencies_i...
Fell in to this rabbit hole a little earlier, so I'll try to drag you in as well. If you switch languages on Wikipedia the list grows a whole lot¹.
FWIW, I've only ever seen one local note in the UK and that was on somebody's fridge ~100km from Bristol where it would actually be valid. I suspect there is a fair amount of money trapped in scrapbooks and on fridges ;)
¹ https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_monnaies_locales_c...
FWIW, I've only ever seen one local note in the UK and that was on somebody's fridge ~100km from Bristol where it would actually be valid. I suspect there is a fair amount of money trapped in scrapbooks and on fridges ;)
¹ https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_monnaies_locales_c...
Good idea, I've perused the Spanish page on ‘local currencies’ and count seven of them (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneda_local)—though on the English WP the topic is split across several articles. I'm also guessing the list might easily be incomplete.
(Also the ‘eQ’ thing on this page sounds like someone's marketing campaign, so perhaps should be cleaned up or removed. E.g.: “aims to promote local consumption, increase the purchasing power of people (for €1 you get 1.50eQ)”—wow very smart, much increase; but later suddenly “€1 = 1eQ”.)
(Also the ‘eQ’ thing on this page sounds like someone's marketing campaign, so perhaps should be cleaned up or removed. E.g.: “aims to promote local consumption, increase the purchasing power of people (for €1 you get 1.50eQ)”—wow very smart, much increase; but later suddenly “€1 = 1eQ”.)
Not GP, but I presume they're talking about alternative currencies¹. Things like the Ehki in Bilbao or Eusko across the border in Basque France. I'm picking those two on purpose because they make a point about it sometimes simply being about regional politics and not generic fiscal localism².
Depending on how you draw the line you could, for example, include the Barcelona Rec³ too. I think I draw the line at physical notes, but YMMV.
Edit to add: Looks like the ehki is digital only now.
¹ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_currency
² https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiscal_localism
³ https://ca.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurs_Econòmic_Ciutadà
Depending on how you draw the line you could, for example, include the Barcelona Rec³ too. I think I draw the line at physical notes, but YMMV.
Edit to add: Looks like the ehki is digital only now.
¹ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_currency
² https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiscal_localism
³ https://ca.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurs_Econòmic_Ciutadà
More of this please! Far more interesting and entertaining than anything coming out of Hollywood or Washington D.C. lately.
Aside; 'Bitter Lake' documentary by Adam Curtis (2015) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84P4dzow1Bw
Didn't know what I was clicking on here... totally worth it. Great little piece of history. I love this kind of weird ripple effect that happens in the world.
Same, I don't have an interest in stamp collection in general, but owning a formal memorabilium from something like this is great.
Fantastic morning read. Thank you so much for sharing. What a story and display of human decency and comradeship at a time of war.
Stories like these need to be told more often, as they give hope to humanity in the toughest of times.
Stories like these need to be told more often, as they give hope to humanity in the toughest of times.
Surely someone will make a movie or a series out of this in the future.
For posterity, how long will that take?
I'll start the bidding at ten years.
For posterity, how long will that take?
I'll start the bidding at ten years.
What would you do as a plot? The pilot episode with the start of the war would surely be interesting, but the wait+party time of the next 8 years would probably not make for a good plot. Except if you'd want to make a party movie, but that would probably go against the spirit of the GBLA.
There's certainly been successful films made around much less. Hell, Castaway is basically 3 hours of Tom Hanks talking to a coconut and it grossed over $400 million.
Opening scenes - war, realising they were stuck. Then the drama of eight years of hanging about and drinking - there must have been romances, conflicts, gossip, smuggling, fights among the crew. And what's the story of the one female member? Plenty to make a great film out of I bet. And if not someone could always 'base' it on 'real life events'.
This happened in the sixties, during and after the six-day war between Israel and Egypt. Therefore I think a movie could be made out of this story any day now.
See Curtis — bitter lake?
It's been a couple of years since I watched it, but I don't recall the GBLA being mentioned in the film.
For anyone interested, the film we're talking about is the 2015 documentary "Bitter Lake" by Adam Curtis which tells the story of how an agreement signed on the Great Bitter Lake back in 1945 could have had an unexpectedly huge impact on how the modern world developed through the next 60+ years.
It's long, but entertaining and as always has a great soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84P4dzow1Bw
For anyone interested, the film we're talking about is the 2015 documentary "Bitter Lake" by Adam Curtis which tells the story of how an agreement signed on the Great Bitter Lake back in 1945 could have had an unexpectedly huge impact on how the modern world developed through the next 60+ years.
It's long, but entertaining and as always has a great soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84P4dzow1Bw
Pretty sure the GBLA isn't mentioned, but I think the Six-Day War probably was?
Indeed, coincidentally just watched this a week before the Ever Given blockage. It's relevant to this thread. The soundtrack, the archival footage and the pairing between them makes for fantastic viewing, although I personally found this not as intellectually interesting and even more 'tenuous' than Hypernormalisation or Can't Get You Out of My Head.
On another micronaton which was founded in the Adriatic sea you can watch "The island of Roses" on Netflix.
By the way, the Egyptian stamps are marked UAR [1], an echo of the union between Egypt and Syria.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Republic
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Republic
This is so HN. Thanks!
Shameless plug:
A micronation that I am a member of:
https://www.letsbuyanisland.com/
A micronation that I am a member of:
https://www.letsbuyanisland.com/
As an owner can you visit?
Yes, sure. It also will be developed four tourists, so even non owners can visit. It is only possible to buy one share. We voted on which island to buy. I would have preferred a gigantic island in the Philippines but the legal work was too risky in this jurisdiction.
I know some of the people behind the project and they are sound. This is why I joined.
I know some of the people behind the project and they are sound. This is why I joined.
Side topic - Roman Mars does a great job hosting this podcast. Has many, many different takes on the status quo.
I nice lockdown story.
> It runs vertically between Egypt and the rest of the Middle East (...)
Pretty sure it runs horizontally. Vertical channel would be called waterfall.
Pretty sure it runs horizontally. Vertical channel would be called waterfall.
Vertically when you look at it on a map, where north is facing up.
But we both knew that.
But we both knew that.
My science teacher in middle school insisted rivers didn’t flow north, because on a globe north was up.
Yes, we tried showing her the Nile.
Yes, we tried showing her the Nile.
[deleted]
You are ruining the joke due to lack of sense of humor.
Also:
What if north is facing down?
What if map is not on a wall but on a table?
What if map is not oriented not in north-south direction?
Also:
What if north is facing down?
What if map is not on a wall but on a table?
What if map is not oriented not in north-south direction?
You're right. I thought you were being a pedant, and I stand corrected. Vertical is a relative orientation, so the usage applies in all of the cases you indicated.
I guess a vertical navigable canal is a lock.
You can also have a lift.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel
The Panama canal has some vertical portions, but the Suez has none.
Related : As the article mentioned, if you are a serious collector then ebay is your place. Even the most obscure of items can be found and in some cases in significant quantity to let you get an understanding on value.