@t_mkdf@ruhr.social
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

t_mkdf

@t_mkdf@ruhr.social

Parenting and Pedaling
Rugby and Radicchio
Washing and Warmachines
Climate change and unclear exchange
Cold war kid
Giggling Cardbox
Master of pillow forts
Calculated mediocrity

Somewhere on the fringes of the lowlands and industrial wastes of western germany

IP law in automotive

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

randahl, to random
@randahl@mastodon.social avatar

Several of you have asked, why half the Republican party has voted for Ukraine aid today, if the party is against it.

The truth is, many republicans have wanted this aid for months — even Mike Johnson was for it in the beginning.

But Trump wanted Biden’s Ukraine agenda to fail, and very few Republicans dare to go against the tzar, because if they do, Trump will immediately endorse another political candidate in their home district.

But what turned this around was security briefings…

1/2

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@anderspuck @randahl Johnson probably has just waited for the right moment.

His goal is neither a russian win nor a Ukrainian win. Or an American win.

His goal is control over the republican party. A Johnson win.

He has used every measure to make MAGA irrelevant and improve his position. Step by step.

gtconway3, to random

“Johnson received a key intelligence briefing from [CIA Director], who painted a picture of the dire situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and the global consequences of inaction, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. The briefing left a lasting impression, and Johnson became increasingly convinced the fate of Western democracy was on his shoulders, sources close to him said.”
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/21/politics/ukraine-aid-mike-johnson-house-speaker-israel-taiwan

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@anderspuck @randahl @amayer @DeeGLloyd Trump has other things on his mind anyhow.

IMO the change of mind of Johnson was none. Trump's entanglements and the Iranian attacks gave him an opportunity to make moves against Trump (aid for Ukraine) and Biden (splitting of the bill; Biden was opposed against a standalone aid package).

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@amayer @anderspuck @randahl @DeeGLloyd compared to the MAGA defeat it's minor. But Johnson managed to get what he wanted over Biden's objections.

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@anderspuck @amayer @randahl @DeeGLloyd

The aid was stalled for so long and it wasn't clear that anything might pass prior to November. Biden simply wasn't in a position to object to the procedure anymore.

kravietz, to random
@kravietz@agora.echelon.pl avatar

Soviet double agent Anthony Blunt may have helped Hitler too

In 1979 the art historian was outed as one of the Cambridge spies recruited by Stalin. Shocking new evidence suggests he may also have passed deadly secrets to the Nazis, Robert Verkaik reports

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/392db86e-7d65-4c5d-b2a9-b781d5ee7250

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@kravietz @Loukas There are many myths about a betrayal of the plans for Market Garden.

But they all have been debunked.

And the western Allies, especially the US, simply didn't think Berlin was worth it since it would be divided in surrounded by the Soviet occupation zone anyway.

Their price was the Ruhr (which was also the main reason for Market Garden).

j2bryson, to random
@j2bryson@mastodon.social avatar

This really seems underreported, presumably because it’s a Russian assault on NATO infrastructure, and no one wants to admit we’re at war?

Russia accused of GPS jamming after aircraft disrupted

Finnair suspended flights to the Estonian city of Tartu after GPS signal interference prevented two planes from landing. Estonia and Lithuania have blamed Russia for jamming GPS signals in the region.
https://www.dw.com/en/russia-accused-of-gps-jamming-after-aircraft-disrupted/a-68964307?

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@kravietz @j2bryson @vfrmedia for western Europe it's also hybris, over reliance on economic ties. And in view of Germany guilt and forgiveness.

And tbh russia just wasn't important enough and seen as an ally against Islamism.

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@kravietz @j2bryson @vfrmedia self deterrence.

t_mkdf, to Ukraine
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@anderspuck

Did you already read Mearsheimer's new piece? What is your take on it?

IMO he underestimates russia's internal struggles (mutiny, purging of Generals, economic decline). And overestimates russian military capability (basically assumes that russia will get also Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Odessa at some point in the near future...).

I kind of feel I wasted my time reading this.

https://mearsheimer.substack.com/p/the-darkness-ahead-where-the-ukraine?utm_medium=reader2

mike, to random
@mike@flipboard.com avatar

The big problem with Tesla that this article misses completely is that many of Tesla's most enthusiastic customers (like I once was) no longer want to support a person who is actively promoting hateful conspiracy theories and providing nazis and Russians with a platform to disrupt the upcoming U.S. election.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/05/chaos-at-tesla-what-analysts-think-about-elon-musks-cuts-and-layoffs/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into AC/DC AI @ac

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@mike @ac I would say it's priced in with the decline in market share... Which will only accelerate outside the US with the emergence of BYD and other Chinese EV manufacturers.

The European commission might establish tariffs for these Chinese manufacturers (akin to the US). But in order to be effective these might need to be as high as 55%. Which a) is unrealistic and b) shows how cheap EVs might become in the next few years.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/30/chinese-ev-imports-europe-might-need-to-impose-up-to-55percent-in-tariffs-.html

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@etchedpixels @mike @ac Hungary according to BYD

https://www.byd.com/eu/news-list/BYD_to_Build_A_New_Energy_Passenger_Vehicle_Factory_in_Hungary_for_Localised_Production_in_Europe.html

t_mkdf, to Bulgaria
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

Does anyone have more information about the rumour that the are planning a "" lite for Ukraine (funding, intel sharing, logistics, economic help...)?

If true this would be great news and signal to that they cannot simply hope that Western resolve and support for will collapse.

https://youtu.be/ERn9TG_P9Ts

anderspuck, to random
@anderspuck@krigskunst.social avatar

No country should buy Swiss weapons before they change this policy. The ability to transfer weapons to each other in times of need has proven to be a strategic requirement.
https://mastodon.social/

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@anderspuck especially no NATO country.

At least one can reliably not rely on Swiss arms in time of need.

anderspuck, to Russia
@anderspuck@krigskunst.social avatar

The turmoil in the Middle East has led to many speculations about the extent to which Russia and Iran are coordinating their actions. So I decided to make a video about the relationship between , , and .

This time I am linking to a post on my new Ghost site. Some people have requested that I post transcripts of my videos, which seemed like a good idea. So if you prefer to "read" my videos instead of watching them, you can sign up for the newsletter.
https://www.logicofwar.com/is-there-an-alliance-between-russia-china-and-iran/

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@VikingChieftain @anderspuck Italian and German interests didn't overlap completely either. Just think Greece and the Balkans.

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@VikingChieftain @anderspuck China and russia potentially have conflicting spheres of interest in central Asia though.

https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/02/russias-influence-kazakhstan-increasing-despite-war-ukraine

anderspuck, to random
@anderspuck@krigskunst.social avatar

Now that Ukraine's shortage of weapons and ammunition is about to get solved, there is increased attention on the two other big problems on the frontline: Lack of fortifications and a manpower deficit.

In this edition of the Logic of War newsletter I discuss these two problems. Since I won't be publishing a regular video on YouTube this week, I decided to make access free for all on this one. https://www.logicofwar.com/ukranies-three-big-problems/

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@anderspuck lack of fortifications reminds me also of the French in WWI. They saw the trenches as temporary and didn't want to admit to the public that they would need them for a long time.

Also as far as I know the Ukrainian army expected -at least until the fortification program - their troops to dig and maintain their own trenches. Whilst the russians have their own detachments for it.

kravietz, to Germany
@kravietz@agora.echelon.pl avatar

In debate escalates about whether the phase-out was justified granted its consequences for German economy that are becoming evident now. In the new turn, it is being suggested that the minister of economy Habeck was lied to by his own experts who claimed the phase-out is going to be harmless.^1

At this stage I can only reiterate that since 2011 when the plans were announced hundreds of worldwide climate experts appealed to Germany not to phase-out nuclear, which is one of the few low-carbon and dispatchable sources of energy. Climate scientist James Hansen had been calling German phase-out a “climate crime” and in 2019 hundreds of scientists wrote an open letter to German government asking to reconsider.^2

As I wrote a few years ago, the whole phase-out plan was plagued by cognitive biases, falsified data and excessive optimism about “prospective technologies of future”. The biggest blame however goes to “environmental activists” such as and who were absolutely knowingly and cynically lying about both evils of nuclear and benefits of , convincing many people and pushing the government towards the current failure.^3

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@kravietz Cicero is far right. And Die Welt stopped being mainstream conservative some time ago.

It's simply a culture war issue. It is safe to say that every reporting on this topic from Germany has to be viewed through this lens.

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@kravietz whilst I partially share your critique on the phase out of nuclear power in Germany, I would like to point out that the reporting is a big nothing burger based on unfaithful reporting of the right wing news outlet Cicero (which is quite close to the AfD). Which apparently could not be bothered with checking the sources

Just culture war fuel.

https://www.volksverpetzer.de/faktencheck/habeck-rechte-pseudo-skandal-akw-files/

anderspuck, to random
@anderspuck@krigskunst.social avatar

"They need to do what’s called income mobilization,” she said. "And increasing taxation is part of this.”

From: @thejapantimes
https://mastodon.social/@thejapantimes/112346537715763236

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@anderspuck @thejapantimes "No one knows Putin’s projections” for the war, said Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. "There are rumors and anticipation of an upcoming Russian escalation. They don’t have a crystal ball, that’s why they want to have this money now.”

t_mkdf, to DadBin
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

"Violence of action means the unrestricted use of speed, strength, surprise and aggression to achieve total dominance against your enemy."

This is a pretty good description on how our 3 year old dominates her 6 year old .

t_mkdf, to VideoGames
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

"Introduce yourself using seven "

  1. Civilization
  2. Star Control II
  3. Baldur's Gate I+Il
  4. Knights of the Old Republic
  5. Total War: Medieval II
  6. Monkey Island I+II
  7. Mechwarrior III


osma, to random
@osma@mas.to avatar

This is an extremely based piece on generative LLMs from @molly0xfff. Really, my only issue with it is that it boxes "AI" to discuss only generative LLMs, while there are plenty of other machine-learning and algorithmic exploration technologies that can offer far more practical value in domains that are not just text-based token streams. But, yeah - "AI" now means ChatGPT and the other stuff doesn't have a name. I get it.
https://www.citationneeded.news/ai-isnt-useless/

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@osma @molly0xfff I don't like AI. But I am all for machine learning...

Loukas, to random
@Loukas@mastodon.nu avatar

I just saw a job advert for professional editors. "Instead of being worried AI will replace your job, shape the future of AI!" They want people to write texts for AI training.

”Instead of being worried about Christmas, turkeys can shape the future of Christmas!”

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@Loukas who would have thought that the limiting factor for AI would be lack of training data.

Puny humans. Can't even generate enough data to become irrelevant.

https://theconversation.com/researchers-warn-we-could-run-out-of-data-to-train-ai-by-2026-what-then-216741

t_mkdf, to random
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@kravietz @chowderman

Germany is late to the party again and is discussing different zones for energy prices (Denmark has 2, Norway 6, and Italy 7...).

The interesting thing is that with reliable on and off shore wind power energy prices in northern Germany could be really cheap compared to southern Germany (especially Bavaria which relied on nuclear... And gas. And where wind turbines are frowned upon).

https://www.agrarheute.com/management/finanzen/einheitlicher-strompreis-deutschland-haltbar-5-preiszonen-602662

kravietz, to Germany
@kravietz@agora.echelon.pl avatar

Three citizens were arrested on suspicion of having worked as foreign agents for Ministry of State Security with goal of forming research partnerships with German universities and collect information useful from military and economic point of view.

https://www.generalbundesanwalt.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2024/Pressemitteilung-vom-22-04-2024.html?nn=478184 (in German)

t_mkdf,
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

@kravietz and one of them is working for the far-right frontrunner for the European Parliament Maximilian .

Who is very successful on Tik-Tok btw.

https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/spionage-china-afd-100.html

t_mkdf, to random
@t_mkdf@ruhr.social avatar

Saint Martin's Goose with 3 hours to go...

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