Recent posts

#21

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Valmy - December 02, 2025, 04:49:21 PM

Yeah. Trying to be friends with Trump is the path to disaster. He sees being friendly as a sign of weakness. He will betray you.

Canada and Mexico eventually learned from trying to play nice last time. The UK just has no self respect.

#22

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by Valmy - December 02, 2025, 04:47:27 PM

I was assuming that instead of spending money on physical toys they spend it on digital "content" (skins, in game currencies, apps, games etc.).

But I know what they say about assuming - it makes and ass of u and ming.

Yeah I guess she would like a few Robux sent her way but its not quite the same as me deserately wanting the Millenium Falcon for Christmas 1982.

#23

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by The Minsky Moment - December 02, 2025, 04:42:42 PM

Haha, racist jokes!

Accusations like that will get me into a warring state.

#24

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Tonitrus - December 02, 2025, 04:27:17 PM

There is no way those cowards will risk pissing off Daddy Trump

I think they would be fine pissing off Trump, but bringing down the US economy would likely bring down everyone else's economy.  It would be game of chicken, see who blinks first.  Trump often backs down with faced with real resistance.  Anyway, at this point I am fine with destroying the economy.

It worked for China.

#25

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Syt - December 02, 2025, 04:08:10 PM

Yes, exactly so.  The post became so dependable that an assumption was built into the law that the post had been delivered by a certain point.  Syt, interesting that when you were taking your exams, in your country it was three days.  Here it was, iirc, two weeks.

Tbf, at the time you would expect a letter from one end of Germany to take one, max two days, so at the time I thought three days were quite generous, esp. with most cases being fairly local, i.e. sending a letter within the same community or the next tow  over.

#26

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Grey Fox - December 02, 2025, 03:51:01 PM

A facet, I find that, we often forget about media before easy & fast communications is how no one outside your area of information travel was going to critic you.

People possedding better information than the Daily Express about Finland, didn't know what DE was publishing nor had anyway to communicate it rapidly.

It was all small bubbles, all slowly travelling on the highway of news of the time without any concern where any other bubbles where going.

#27

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Sheilbh - December 02, 2025, 03:28:05 PM

I'd go for green ink to really hit the point home

#28

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - December 02, 2025, 03:27:33 PM

It's OK, they know how to take it on the Qin.

#29

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - December 02, 2025, 03:27:09 PM

So are we looking at a new political landscape where what used to be the Tories are now Labour, what used to be Labour are the Greens and (what used to be UKIP is Reform)?

No I think this is vibes - and Labour's abyssmal lack of an actual strategy.

In actual terms Labour's raised £66 billion of taxes (largely on employers) which is largely being spent on public services and welfare. They've introduced VAT on private schools, got rid of non-doms and now the mansion tax. Changed the fiscal rules to allow £100 billion of extra capital spending plus re-writing the Treasury Green Book to privilege non-London investment. Started nationalising the railways as well as establishing a state energy company and national wealth fund investing in new renewable projects (while ending new North Sea gas extraction licenses). Plus they've recognised Palestine and there's an arms embargo on Israel (except for certain spare parts contracts).

But for internal factional reasons the Labour leadership has decided to always "punch a hippy" by fighting the Labour left, which means they're just alienated. But also there's no overall strategy or message tying it all together. It's definitely left wing, not what the Tories would be doing but it just all comes across as accidental and incoherent.

I would add, because of course I would, that a lot of those changes - particularly on investment and nationalisation - depend on planning reform and state capacity or they will not have an impact that people notices. That capital spending and investment will not matter if it is tied up in consultations and planning appeals or being pissed away on lawyers' fees. But this government is absolutely addicted to prioritising process over outcome.

#30

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - December 02, 2025, 03:26:51 PM

And signed in beet juice blood!