denspier

denspier, 2 months ago

@jan @rahmstorf My house is 500+ m2 in the north of Sweden and the total cost of installation, ground work, equipment, electricity, fluids etc. was about 17.000 EURO. That was for an “industrial” size heat pump, much more expensive than regular home kits.

How big is your house? Have you checked with other suppliers?

denspier, 2 months ago

@jan @rahmstorf That sounds very expensive. Is the ground in the area not suited for drilling (like sand only 100m deep until the rock bed)? Perhaps an air-to-water heat pump could be an alternative? 🤔

denspier, 2 days ago

@w7voa This is just a clarification, and no change of policy. Ukraine alone decide how they defend themselves against an aggressor. That was made clear again in this statement, that also emphasized that Sweden expect that Ukraine adheres to international law.

denspier, 1 month ago

@makkhorn And why is he saluting in civilian clothing? If you only learn one single thing in the military, it’s that there’s no worse offense than saluting when not in full uniform, and a uniform you’re entitled to wear.

Perhaps a reminder the man hasn’t served a single day.

denspier, 2 months ago

@randahl Art have always been attacked occasionally, and that will continue whether we like it or not. But there’s a huge difference between mindless vandalism and acts that add context and meaning, and I think that was worth pointing out. In this particular case, restoring the portrait would now itself be an act of vandalism, depleting art of context and artistic value.

denspier, 1 month ago

@tomjennings @openculture This is not fax, Tom, it’s telephoto. Completely analog. And much superior to fax in quality.

denspier, 1 month ago

@openculture 1937? This was in practice for many decades. I’m aware of it well into the late 80s, but it was probably used much longer than that as quality was way superior to scanning a photo and sending it digitally.

denspier, 9 days ago

@randahl Viborg/Viipuri was Finlands second biggest town up until WWII.

denspier, 22 days ago

@w7voa Signing checks? What is this, 1965?

denspier, 1 month ago

@randahl The beauty in this photo is that in a democracy different opinions are allowed and respected. While the vast majority of people in Finland and Sweden were definitely in favor of joining NATO, a few were against, and many would have liked to see a proper debate on if and how, and an election or a referendum before applying.

The (arguably necessary) rush means that the memberships now stand on a less than ideal democratic foundation, and that could become a problem in the future.

denspier, 2 months ago

@lproven Sad to learn that, but what a guy Paul Alexander was!

The article describe iron lungs as “mechanical ventilators that push air into the lungs”. It’s more correct to say they PULL air into the lungs. The article also claim that “iron lungs have been replaced by modern ventilators and tracheal intubation”. This is only partially correct. Iron lungs are extremely gentle in comparison and can be used for very long periods of time. What really replaced iron lungs was the polio vaccine.

denspier, 1 month ago

@Ruth_Mottram Is (Great) Britain even a country?

England is a country, and so are Wales and Scotland. Together with Northern Ireland these three countries are in a voluntary (right?) union - The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or UK for short - a political entity with a shared currency and a common foreign policy. And just like the EU, not a country. A country cannot consist of other countries.

denspier, 1 month ago

@TechDesk @TechCrunch
Unless advertisers are doing it for charity, TikTok has not just generated $14.7B for American small businesses, but also at least $14.7B in cost for American consumers. Net positive or negative? 🤷🏼‍♂️

denspier, 11 days ago

@IndependenceDay The union between Norway and Sweden was not finally dissolved until 1905.

But the first draft of the Norwegian constitution was approved at Eidsvoll May 16 1814. The following day Christian Fredrik was elected king of Norway and signed the constitution.

denspier, 7 days ago

@randahl Shameful of Biden to push the false narrative that the ICC claim there’s “equivalence” between Israel and Hamas, or that Israel has no right to defend itself. The ICC prosecutor clearly did no such thing, on the contrary. He only claim international law, like the Geneva convention, is being violated.

denspier, 26 days ago

@SteveThompson Source: https://bra.se/om-bra/nytt-fran-bra/arkiv/press/2024-05-02-kraftig-okning-av-antalet-anmalda-antisemitiska-hatbrott-hosten-2023.html

denspier, 1 month ago

@s1m0n4 Bilateral agreements are politically correct in the UK, but much more limited. The UK has been quite clear they’re going it alone. No other country in Europe aren’t already in, on its way into, or in very close cooperation with the EU/EES. The UK alone is heading in the opposite direction. Which of course is a valid option. My assumption is just that the geology of Europe or maps arbitrarily dividing the earth into continents is perhaps not how most people tend to think about it.

denspier, 1 month ago

@s1m0n4 I agree the British are much more European than they like to admit. Just look at the EU today: after all this time is it anything the French first envisioned? No. Is it everything the British made it become? Yes, very much so.

Absolutely no one claims the UK or even the GB has drifted away from the European continent. And yet, for all practical purposes it’s not incorrect to express in general speech that “the UK left Europe”.

denspier, 1 month ago

@s1m0n4 Geologists would never suggest that the UK somehow left Europe, that’s true. But for every practical l perspective I don’t think it’s unfair to say “the UK left Europe” in everyday speech. It wasn’t just about leaving the EU but of denouncing any kind of cooperation, big and small, with European supranational organizations (except the UK itself).
#Brexit

denspier, 1 month ago

@s1m0n4 From a time zone perspective Poland is Central Europe, while Finland is East Europe. Historically, at least after WWII, Poland was seen as Eastern European, at least by others. But I also think that the reasons we used to divide Europe in east and west have diminished since the Cold War ended.

The Iceland and the UK, together with Ireland, are good examples that geography doesn’t determine in people’s minds whether a country is “European”. Whether it wants to be part matters more.

denspier, 7 days ago

@therightarticle Stricter external borders, including the entry/exit system, was - together with the single market and the expansion eastwards - British achievements in the EU. It’s both sad and ironic.

denspier, 23 days ago

@euractiv_politics The Liberals (Renew Europe) and Christian Democrats (EPP) have aligned themselves with Sweden’s Victor Orban, Jimmy Åkesson, so it’s hard to tell exactly how “pro-EU” they actually are.
#EU #Sweden

denspier, 15 hours ago

@kriky @randahl well, that doesn’t make it right.

denspier, 2 months ago

@nemeciii No exceptions to congestion tax for EVs in Sweden. All vehicles except public transport are treated equally, even taxis. There is however a not unreasonable maximum daily fee.