Recent posts

#51

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

Last post by Jacob - December 02, 2025, 12:51:01 PM

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

I don't think they're about to do it tomorrow or anything, but...

It seems to me that the current state of diplomacy is that you talk about cataclysmic things you can do, and then sometimes you follow through on them - fully or in part. And sometimes, of course, you don't.

I think this is a reminder from the EU that they in fact do hold some cards with real value, as well as a signal to the population of Europe that the disintegration of the relationship with the US is ongoing and that drastic action may be required.

#52

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Syt - December 02, 2025, 11:43:31 AM

When I began practising law, we still relied on something called the postal acceptance rule.  I won't get into the details of what the rule was, but suffice it to say that it was necessary because communications were delayed by the time it took the post office to deliver a letter.

And that was in the early 90s. Think about how much more inefficient communications were during the time you are being critical of.

Studied public administration in the late 90s. The accepted legal fiction was that an official letter (unless sent as registered mail with return card) was considered delivered after three working days (which was relevant for triggering deadlines, like how long does a citizen have to register his objection to a letter). Many written exams liked playing around with the mailing dates of administrative letters and citizen responses (though it was usually the smallest part of the exams; the exams were then focused on the relevant area - social security law, environmental law, etc. though the most popular - at least in administrative procedural law - was examining public liability following damages caused by a private third party acting on behalf of the public entity, e.g. a towing company, or a building/repair firm ).

#53

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Syt - December 02, 2025, 11:36:09 AM

Yes. They wrote and received letters, and had postal services. And yes, they had dated news, depending on the length of travel.

Yep, there is (was?) a website that archived Austrian newspapers, with some from the 1700s (IIRC) and early 1800s. Lots of week old (or older) news in those.

#54

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by crazy canuck - December 02, 2025, 11:31:38 AM

Without Yu there is no Ming.

#55

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

Last post by crazy canuck - December 02, 2025, 11:29:42 AM

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

 

Have you not been paying attention to all the things Europe has been doing that pisses off the Americans under the current regime?

#56

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

Last post by Tamas - December 02, 2025, 11:23:09 AM

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

#57

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by The Minsky Moment - December 02, 2025, 11:15:21 AM

Poor Ming 

They weren't so nice to Yu an others.

#58

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by crazy canuck - December 02, 2025, 11:10:30 AM

Still if the "surrender" news came just before they went to print they could had put a question mark at the end of the headline news but they didn't because as HVC wrote they went for the "clickbait"

By that logic all headlines should have question marks. All reporting is based on what is known at the time the report is published.

If you are published weekly and a major news item JUST lands before you go to print perhaps indicate that fact? But no, a grabbing headline was just as important back then as it is now. That's my point. Grab the attention, clarify/disclaimer later. Just as nowadays. Same standards.

I can tell that you came of age during the time when communications were instantaneous.

When I began practising law, we still relied on something called the postal acceptance rule.  I won't get into the details of what the rule was, but suffice it to say that it was necessary because communications were delayed by the time it took the post office to deliver a letter.

And that was in the early 90s. Think about how much more inefficient communications were during the time you are being critical of.

#59

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Oexmelin - December 02, 2025, 10:52:31 AM

Yes. They wrote and received letters, and had postal services. And yes, they had dated news, depending on the length of travel.

#60

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Crazy_Ivan80 - December 02, 2025, 10:40:07 AM

It's interesting to think how papers would have worked in earlier times. Pre radio, pre telegram....
Something happened in the US!... Last week.

Aren't the oldest newspapers older than all these technologies? So we should be able to find out, at least to some extent