A U.S. drone strike blew up a car in the Iraqi capital Wednesday night‚ killing a high-ranking commander of the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia who is responsible for “directly planning and participating in attacks” on American troops in the region‚ the U.S. military said Wednesday. The precision blast hit a main thoroughfare in the Mashtal neighborhood in eastern Baghdad‚ attracting a crowd as emergency teams picked through the wreckage. It came amid roiling tensions in the region‚ and...

On November 11‚ 1918‚ U.S.soldier Robert Casey wrote from the American front in Western Europe:“And this is the end of it. In three hours the war will be over. It seems incredible even as I write it. I suppose I ought to be thrilled and cheering. Instead I am merely apathetic and incredulous … There is some cheering across the river—occasional bursts of it as the news is carried to the advanced lines. For the most part‚ though‚ we are in silence … With all is a feeling that it can’t be true. For months we have slept under the guns … We cannot comprehend the stillness.”It was the 11th day of the 11th month‚ and the war was scheduled to end with a ceasefire at the 11th hour—11:00 a.m. exactly. It had been four years of bloody‚ brutal fighting in what would later be called World War I. (Ironically‚ the war that was dubbed "the war to end all wars.")The sense of relief at the ceasefire had to have been palpable‚ and thanks to modern technology‚ we can get an idea of what it sounded like to have the constant gunfire‚ artillery shells‚ fighter planes and bombs just…stop. The following audio is not a recording‚ since magnetic tape recording technology didn't exist in WWI. It's a sound recreation based on visual "sound ranging" recordings the military used to determine where enemy fire was coming from. Special units placed microphones in the ground and used photographic film to visually record the noise intensity of gunfire‚ similarly to how seismometer measures an earthquake. The lines you see in the film below are vibrations from noises at the River Moselle on the American Front‚ which were interpreted by sound company Coda to Coda using meticulous research on the kinds of weaponry that would have been used and how far away they were‚ even taking into account the geography of the area. The result is the sounds soldiers would have heard during the last minute of World War I. Listen: — (@) The little bird chirp at the end really punctuates it‚ doesn't it? Beautiful‚ yet haunting. The fact that there was an exact minute when opposing forces agreed to lay down their arms and then did so is a bit surreal. If you know you're going to stop shooting‚ why wait for a few hours and keep shooting one another? Why not just say‚ "Stop‚ we're done now"? Communication took time and the various forces needed to be informed of the ceasefire agreement‚ so it makes some sense‚ but still. The armistice agreement was signed six hours before the ceasefire. In those six hours—when peace had already been agreed upon—3‚000 soldiers were killed. Talk about senseless deaths. Of all the things humans have devised and systematized‚ war is probably the weirdest. Leaders get into disputes over political or geographic particulars‚ and then one says‚ "I'm going to send my people to kill your people." Another responds‚ "If your people kill my people‚ then my people will kill your people." Then the worst of human atrocities are perpetrated by people who would normally never dream of doing such things to one another until‚ at some point‚ they've all have had enough of the senseless destruction‚ the leaders come to some kind of agreement and say‚ "OK‚ our people will no longer kill each other. Good talk."Of course‚ it's all a bit more complicated than that‚ but at the same time‚ it's not. War as a concept is simply stupid and stupidly simple. Humanity in general does seem to have grasped the stupidity of it‚ as we've been making global progress toward a more peaceful world for many decades. But as conflicts ignite and violence explode in certain regions‚ we feel the tenuousness of that progress‚ which makes peacemaking skills all the more valuable. Twenty million people were killed in WWI‚ more than half of them civilians. Many of them died from famine and disease brought on by the conditions of war. This audio is a reminder that these things don't just happen—they are choices that human beings make. Destruction and diplomacy are both choices. Retaliation and restoration are choices. War and peace are choices. We've tried choosing war followed by peace‚ many times over. Maybe we should try choosing peace without having to go through the stupid‚ senseless killing part first.

Imagine spending every day exploring wondrous locations‚ eating expertly crafted meals‚ enjoying year-round indulgence … could there be anything better?Taking a lifelong cruise might sound like something out of a dream‚ and an unrealistic one at that. But leaving the land behind and adopting a seafaring lifestyle is now more attainable than ever. See on Instagram By 2024‚ cruise line Storylines will launch a 741-foot ship dubbed the MV Narrative‚ a huge vessel containing 547 fully furnished rooms available for purchase or lease. The cruise will definitely be the stuff of luxury‚ with its high-end spas‚ movie theater‚ yoga sun deck‚ state-of-the-art fitness center‚ art studio … it even has a bowling alley‚ for crying out loud. But being a “residential community at sea‚” there will also be things like a library‚ post office‚ school and bank.Perhaps the funnest part—in addition to extended stays in exotic locations—residents will have a say in where the vessel goes. "What a typical cruise line might do in one month or three weeks‚ we will take three to four months to do‚" Storylines founder and CEO Alister Punton told CNN Travel‚ adding that the residents “have opportunities to have input into where the ship goes next." These "residents choice" days allow those on board to choose the ports of call. See on Instagram Is MV Narrative the only residential ship to sail the seven seas? No. The World has offered residential living since 2002‚ according to The Real Deal. Other lines‚ like Utopia and Victoria Cruises‚ also offer an all-inclusive lifestyle. However‚ it could be the most eco-friendly. Travel and Leisure noted that the ship will run on clean-burning liquid gas and have a zero-waste farmers market selling local products. "We will definitely be the greenest cruise ship out there‚" Punton shared with CNN Travel. See on Instagram Travel and Leisure states the MV Narrative's current listing price range from $1 million to $8 million to own‚ with a small number of 24-year leases available from $600‚000‚ which works out to around $25‚000 per year.Of course‚ if you were to forgo any homeownership and chose instead to live the life of a nomad‚ a lifelong cruise could be an even cheaper and more accessible option. Earlier this year‚ retired couple Angelyn and Richard Burk made headlines by fulfilling their travel dreams of hopping from ship to ship … all for around $36‚000. Yep‚ less than an average mortgage. It’s no wonder why this is such a popular trend for adventurous folks of retirement age. This might be because people are attracted to having both adventure and the comfort of home‚ which Storylines provides. "At the end of a long day discovering a new exotic location‚ they can come home to friends and familiar surroundings and sleep in their own bed‚" Storylines co-founder‚ Shannon Lee‚ wrote in an email to Travel and Leisure.What a time to be alive‚ when you can travel the world and never leave home. This article originally appeared on 08.18.22

From his debut album. The post PJ Harvey’s favourite Captain Beefheart song first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

"I wanted to show my appreciation." The post The Stevie Wonder song written as a tribute to Duke Ellington first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

A controversial connection. The post The connection between Lana Del Rey and ‘A Clockwork Orange’ first appeared on Far Out Magazine.