CptBluebear's recent activity
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Comment on Volodymyr Zelenskyy ready for 'honest' work on US-backed plan as Europeans push back in ~society
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Comment on Volodymyr Zelenskyy ready for 'honest' work on US-backed plan as Europeans push back in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentDon't get me wrong, the US spends an incredible amount of absolute value, simply because they have a lot of both money and just military stuff. Those HIMARS systems were on the outs and Bradleys...Don't get me wrong, the US spends an incredible amount of absolute value, simply because they have a lot of both money and just military stuff. Those HIMARS systems were on the outs and Bradleys are ubiquitous, and older Abrams tanks might be cheaper to write off and replace than modernize.
Losing American support will impact Ukraine directly and significantly.That said, Europe has spent a lot through different methods. Plenty of money was and is being spent on Ukrainian refugees, the EU spent serious cash on shouldering the energy cost boom, and on top of that sent a lot of older materiel they had lying around. Their arms manufacturing hasn't been idle either and the stuff they're sending is increasingly more modern and contemporary. Some EU countries have even sent their current stock. Combined, the Union has spent about as much (as you said, at this moment even more) as the US alone.
That's not a knock to the US, being matched by an entire alliance block as an individual contributor speaks volumes about the errr... Volumes of US aid, but it also goes to show that the EU is not toothless.
My point is that this is before the massive increase in defense spending. We can expect more from the EU if they remain steadfast and I don't see any signs of slowing. -
Comment on Volodymyr Zelenskyy ready for 'honest' work on US-backed plan as Europeans push back in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentEurope produces just about everything short of patriot or himars missiles. It's mostly the volume of 155mm shells that has bottlenecked the entire war. There's some hesitancy supplying the most...Europe produces just about everything short of patriot or himars missiles. It's mostly the volume of 155mm shells that has bottlenecked the entire war.
There's some hesitancy supplying the most modern stuff lest they run out of their own stock. Part of the deal of increasing military spending was that countries could invest in their own military or pump it into Ukraine. We'll see how that pans out in volume like you said, but the types of materiel produced by Europe isn't insignificant.
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Comment on Polish train track that helped transport aid to Ukraine destroyed in ‘act of sabotage,’ prime minister says in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentSo totally not Taurus wink winkSo totally not Taurus wink wink
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Comment on US President Donald Trump signs order to remove tariffs from Brazilian beef, coffee other food items in ~society
CptBluebear Link ParentFrom politicized meat or no meat to politicized food or no food real quick.From politicized meat or no meat to politicized food or no food real quick.
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Comment on Russians confront wartime internet cuts with public shrug, private fury in ~tech
CptBluebear Link ParentTook a while to get at this point though. Nicky's incompetence was tolerated far too long.And in Russian history those times usually end with someone shot in a basement =)
Took a while to get at this point though. Nicky's incompetence was tolerated far too long.
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Comment on Some people can't see mental images. The consequences are profound. in ~health.mental
CptBluebear Link ParentHahahah what the fuck are you guys talking about ... This is legitimately black magic to someone that can "picture" a concept of an apple at best.Hahahah what the fuck are you guys talking about ...
This is legitimately black magic to someone that can "picture" a concept of an apple at best.
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Comment on Some people can't see mental images. The consequences are profound. in ~health.mental
CptBluebear Link ParentDreams are different than imagination and activates elsewhere in the brain too. Dreaming can be actively experienced by the brain and thus you can see dreams while they happen even if you can't...Dreams are different than imagination and activates elsewhere in the brain too. Dreaming can be actively experienced by the brain and thus you can see dreams while they happen even if you can't imagine things while awake.
I rarely dream, nor do I mentally see things, but I do know when I'm dreaming. Sometimes.
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Comment on Some people can't see mental images. The consequences are profound. in ~health.mental
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentOh god when a book starts describing the landscape. Just kill me now. On the plus side, I will never worry about how the protagonist in the movie adaptation doesn't look like their description in...Oh god when a book starts describing the landscape. Just kill me now.
On the plus side, I will never worry about how the protagonist in the movie adaptation doesn't look like their description in the book, or how people imagined it. I didn't know what they were supposed to look like anyway. If anything, reading a book after a movie is better.
It really did seem like people used the terms seeing or minds eye as if it was just a metaphor.
Fun trick I learnt was to ask someone to think of a table with a red apple on it. Then ask them what color or material the table was. Most respond instantly, aphantasiacs will look at you puzzled.
As an example, if I was asked to describe my own mother's face I would draw a blank.
Yeah uhh my mom has dark colored hair. That's as far as I get.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
CptBluebear Link ParentThe main difference between the dotcom bubble and this one is that the money flows are real this time. Google, Meta, Nvidia, etc are moving piles of cash which is not what happened during the...The main difference between the dotcom bubble and this one is that the money flows are real this time. Google, Meta, Nvidia, etc are moving piles of cash which is not what happened during the dotcom era.
This means the economy is still functioning and like you said keeps the thing from collapsing onto a recession.I don't know what that means for the end result (when it inevitably pops) but the difference is quite important during the run-up.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentIt's not entirely deterministic, though heavily weighted to have historical events like the Iberian Wedding happen more often, events are time gated by a Mean Time to Happen and have a chance to...It's not entirely deterministic, though heavily weighted to have historical events like the Iberian Wedding happen more often, events are time gated by a Mean Time to Happen and have a chance to not happen at all.
That's what I think is the fun of EU4, sometimes the French lose the 100 years war, Poland does not become a commonwealth, and the Habsburgs are ousted in the 16th century.
I can understand being frustrated at not knowing what you can expect though, that unfortunately happens plenty in a game with so many moving parts.
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Comment on Labubu movie in the works at Sony in ~movies
CptBluebear Link ParentI did not know this, thanks for the added context. That makes it make a little more sense. Though I'd be remiss if I didn't argue against the point by wondering if the hype isn't generally because...I did not know this, thanks for the added context. That makes it make a little more sense. Though I'd be remiss if I didn't argue against the point by wondering if the hype isn't generally because of online influencing over the illustrations. I could be wrong but in my eyes this is a TikTok trend first and a series of illustrations second.
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Comment on Amtrak steadily continues upgrading Wisconsin stations for level boarding - improving access and travel time in ~transport
CptBluebear Link ParentI genuinely can't tell if I've seen this one already or not. I mean, I've seen videos of Adam Something ranting about another train-like failure of an invention but they're all so similarly dumb...I genuinely can't tell if I've seen this one already or not. I mean, I've seen videos of Adam Something ranting about another train-like failure of an invention but they're all so similarly dumb that I can't tell which one is which anymore. Have I seen this one? I don't know! It could've been the other tech-bro individualized mode of transport.
Edit to add: Oh yeah I remember the Groesbeek/Kleve story now.
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Comment on Labubu movie in the works at Sony in ~movies
CptBluebear Link ParentNo, but I'm not the target audience. And to my point: that movie bombed. Even worse, Bratz is an established children's toy IP. Those tend to fare better than memes.No, but I'm not the target audience. And to my point: that movie bombed. Even worse, Bratz is an established children's toy IP. Those tend to fare better than memes.
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Comment on Duck Duck Go search AI curiously cited Tildes in ~tech
CptBluebear Link ParentHigh quality and genuine. I don't see why it wouldn't. With the Reddit API being locked tight and searching cornered by Google, and the general decline in quality posts on Reddit there is bound to...High quality and genuine. I don't see why it wouldn't. With the Reddit API being locked tight and searching cornered by Google, and the general decline in quality posts on Reddit there is bound to be an alternative. Since Tildes functions similarly as old reddit in that regard, quality long shelf life posts, it's only natural it comes up more.
Kagi also did the thing where they'll downgrade AI responses as search results. This boosts human posts too.Of course, the size of Tildes will keep the amount of results low but I can imagine we'll see more of that over time.
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Comment on Denmark's drive to conscript teenage girls – as the threat from Russia increases, it is no longer only young men who are being called to serve in ~life.women
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentIt wasn't until WW1 that leaders stopped joining the front lines in full. From the time of Alexander the Great to Napoleon, kings and leaders fought in their own wars. Unfortunately, I do not...It wasn't until WW1 that leaders stopped joining the front lines in full.
From the time of Alexander the Great to Napoleon, kings and leaders fought in their own wars.
Unfortunately, I do not think having them join we will see fewer wars.
Edit to add: admittedly, the amount of leaders on the front lines was already in decline and fell steeply in the 19th century, but there is a good story about the king of Belgium in WW1 still fighting in the trenches. King Albert is an exception though, I don't think any other leaders were on the front.
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Comment on Denmark's drive to conscript teenage girls – as the threat from Russia increases, it is no longer only young men who are being called to serve in ~life.women
CptBluebear LinkInflammatory titling from the article aside, equality should mean all citizens are eligible for the draft. I'm wishy-washy about how I feel about a draft, my own letter at 18 confirming I could be...Inflammatory titling from the article aside, equality should mean all citizens are eligible for the draft.
I'm wishy-washy about how I feel about a draft, my own letter at 18 confirming I could be called at any time a reminder of how uneasy I felt, but there is somewhat of an argument to be made when you are in or near conflict with a hostile neighbour. A neighbour that doesn't just rattle sabers, they actually do the dumbest vainglorious thing imaginable.
At any rate, I see little newsworthiness to the article. Even if it's uncommon.
Edit to add: I just realised the ~ I'm in, and as far as I know I'm not female, so please take into account I don't mean to speak for the women in this space.
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Comment on Pennies are being canceled and the US Mint won't make any more. What does that mean? in ~finance
CptBluebear Link ParentI'm assuming they were speaking about the Netherlands and more specifically about the cents. Cash has its place in society, but by and large the Dutch population does not use cash.I'm assuming they were speaking about the Netherlands and more specifically about the cents.
Cash has its place in society, but by and large the Dutch population does not use cash.
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Comment on Labubu movie in the works at Sony in ~movies
CptBluebear Link ParentI don't know, that movie was a one off moonshot. I get your point though, it could work and a 200m blowout perhaps justifies the gamble. But I feel that Emojis aren't a fad. Everyone uses them all...I don't know, that movie was a one off moonshot. I get your point though, it could work and a 200m blowout perhaps justifies the gamble. But I feel that Emojis aren't a fad. Everyone uses them all the time on messaging apps. While Labubu has longer legs than I expected will it last until the movie?
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Comment on Labubu movie in the works at Sony in ~movies
CptBluebear LinkLarge scale productions about (passing) fads are weird to me. You'll always be too late. Besides what the fuck are they even beyond very ugly influencer dolls?Large scale productions about (passing) fads are weird to me. You'll always be too late.
Besides what the fuck are they even beyond very ugly influencer dolls?
Welp, the proposed "peace" plan looks an awful lot like capitulation. Sovereign concessions, smaller army, no security guarantees, Russian return to the G7 and global banking, basically a complete win for Russia without any consequences. Hell there's even stipulations for NATO to stop expanding, it's patently absurd to demand things from non-belligerents especially the argument of expansion which has been the ridiculous Russian talking point to justify this war. NATO doesn't expand because they're expansionist, they grow because there's a looming Russian threat if you aren't part of the defensive alliance block.
I don't want to tell Ukrainians what to do, but accepting this plan will mean landgrabs from nuclear powers is something they can get away with.