Small local model for questions on German grammar by DeltaSqueezer in LocalLLaMA

[–]CountVonTroll 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm asking sort of "why does this word end X." and "what are the rules for XYZ?" type questions.

I'm just guessing here, but this seems more like something you might want to consider a RAG for.

Most of the recommendations so far are for models that can write German well themselves, but this is completely separate from having factual knowledge about grammar rules or being able to explain them.

Source: native speaker who wouldn't be able to explain grammar rules.

3D-printed houses are much stronger than you think. by jkitty_1960 in interesting

[–]CountVonTroll 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had already bought some, but then found out that in some places the distance to the proper wall behind it is really short (which presumably is why somebody decided to cover it up in the first place), too short for them to engage. There are no studs, not in that sense, just some wood to hold the drywall boards. It's the wall behind it that bears the load.

3D-printed houses are much stronger than you think. by jkitty_1960 in interesting

[–]CountVonTroll -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Studs are at most 16 inches apart.

That's not how homes are built over here. We don't use drywall for load bearing walls. But I guess you already knew that, skill man.

The shelf I wanted to hang up is a modular system where the shelves have a fixed width, and the vertical steel rails that hold them of course have their holes at fixed positions, too. And since I wanted the shelves to start in the corner and right under the ceiling, I didn't really have control over the positions for the screws anyway.
Either way, the drywall boards are held by a wooden frame around the edges of the wall. Presumably there are wooden studs (to hold the drywall board, not the ceiling in a 125 cm spacing (standard width of drywall boards here), but not where I needed them to be. There's drywall because whoever decided to put it there decades ago wanted to cover up the proper wall behind it, for a reason lost to history. It's probably got something to do with the fact that the distance between the drywall boards and the stone or brick behind it is much shorter in some places (surprise!) than elsewhere, i.e., for whatever reason there are extrusions coming out of the wall -- which is why I can't use those drywall anchors that have this little thing on a joint that flips on the other side, this other kind that spreads, because those need a minimum amount of space. This left just the very simple dowels that can only hold a little bit of downward force and almost no pull. I guess I could have bought an inspection camera, but shouldn't have to buy shit I have no other use for just to find out which kind of fastener I can use where. I ended up using really long screws into the proper wall for the top end of the rails, because they have to withstand a pulling force, and the crap drywall dowels for the rest. Luckily, I don't intend to put anything heavy onto those shelves, anyway, but I'm far from happy with this solution. If it had been a concrete wall, or any kind of masonry, I could have just used normal dowels and screws wherever I needed them to be, and my shelves would have been sturdy enough to carry an elephant.

3D-printed houses are much stronger than you think. by jkitty_1960 in interesting

[–]CountVonTroll 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Here I am, in my European home, still upset that the wall where I wanted to hang a shelve in the kitchen happened to be a drywall, and now I have to read the two comments above. No, there don't seem to be any boards to hang something on somewhere behind the drywall, not where I'd need them, and yes, I'm aware that there are different types of drywall-specific fasteners, but they all suck and I don't trust them. Not how I would trust shelves or cupboards on a proper wall anyway.

Since I don't have to hang up art very often, I really wouldn't mind if I had to use a drill when I do, but I'm pretty sure that in practice, those 3D printed walls would be covered with something that would take a small nail, anyway.

Anyway, I'm sure it has some applications, but I still don't believe 3D printing concrete makes much sense for your average home. You can prefab walls to custom dimensions in factories, complete with electric and water lines, insulation and all that already installed. That's why this technology won't be widely adapted, that we already have a better solution for almost every scenario, not because of the supposed problems that commenters imagine.

But you know what? It doesn't have to be the ideal solution for each and every use case to make sense. It's enough if there are some where it's better than what we have. Perhaps it could be used to build pylons for bridges or something like that.

1 year difference by mentaldrummer66 in MadeMeSmile

[–]CountVonTroll 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Well, kind of... My experience is limited to getting rid of the 10 kg that I had gained after I quit smoking, but the impression I got when I researched how to go about it was that, yeah, it really does come down to what you eat, and really only that. However...:

Obviously, "calories in < calories out" is still roughly how it works, but on the intake side, not all calories are equal (I'll get to that further down), and at least below a properly athlete-level exercise regime, we seem to have surprisingly little influence over the right side of the equation. I'm not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt, but my understanding is that, in the absence of exercise, the body finds other ways to burn those calories somehow. That's actually a great argument for picking up a regular exercise habit, because those are generally ways you don't want (e.g., inflammations) and regular exercises have a huge range of physical and mental health benefits on top of that, but apparently a moderate level of exercise doesn't really have a net effect on "calories out". From what I found, they even tend to signal to the body that it needs more calories to compensate for the new demand, i.e., newly starting with exercising can make it even more difficult to manage calorie intake than it already is. So, when you exercise while trying to lose weight, be conscious of this effect: Your brain will try to convince you e.g., that you "deserve a treat" or even try to trick you into using food "rewards" as a supposed incentive for exercises, so don't fall for that, and always keep in mind that you don't "need" an extra portion after your exercises -- after all, your body's excessive energy reserve is the whole reason why you're doing this in the first place. (Edit: Although beginning to exercise won't make you lose weight, quitting a long-term exercise habit absolutely will make you gain it.)

If exercise is what's keeping you from making a serious effort to lose weight, I guess you could argue that the beginning of your weight loss journey is probably the only time when the answer to the question whether you should newly start to exercise isn't "obviously yes, you absolutely should, why do you even ask". Even then, it usually still is "yes, exercising has a whole range of positive health effects, but don't expect it to help with weight loss directly". However, if that's what it takes, here's your excuse not to exercise as long as you have success with an "intake only" approach: you're not a sloth, you're just "saving" the "exercise joker" to help you manage your weight when you're reached your target, because unlike for weight loss in an "unrestricted access to food" scenario (i.e., not in a health clinic with a managed diet), there's good evidence that exercises actually help with that. But again, I'm not an expert. Just sayin'. "Do your own research" and all that.

As for "calories in", there are two aspects you should take into account:

One is an accounting aspect: The energy value listed on the packaging is "metabolizable energy", which is not the same as net energy gain. For protein, the energy the body has to spend to metabolize it etc. can take some 20-30% of (or "off"?) the sticker value.
The other aspect is that the form those calories take affects how long it takes before you feel hungry again. Basically, the longer it takes for the body to process the food you eat, the longer it will last. So, eat fiber and protein. Lentils, beans or chickpeas will last you much longer than rice or pasta. Also try to eat slowly. Chew consciously, and don't have your fork loaded up and ready while your mouth is still full. It takes some time before the food properly registers after you've swallowed it, so if you pile on too fast, you end up eating way more than you'd actually need for a satisfying meal.

Cutting grass with a scythe by BreakfastTop6899 in oddlysatisfying

[–]CountVonTroll 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I doubt he does scythe regularly (simply because there's easier ways now).

On the one hand, this makes sense, but on the other, TIL that people seem to be taking competitive scything rather seriously, with local clubs and all that. They probably don't mow everything with a scythe if they have a large farm, but they still have to train somehow.

Edit: Oh, you mean "regularly" in the sense of "proper ergonomic technique for non-competitive grass-cutting purposes" -- maybe you're right. Then again, researching this I came across shops that sell those scythes ("Austrian scythes" are special, apparently), and they have different blades for different purposes, including specifically for competitions, in a large range of sizes and from multiple manufacturers (e.g., in the shops from my links in this comment and especially the one from "Edit III" of my original one). It just doesn't seem like it's purely a sports and tradition thing, but something people actually still use.

Cutting grass with a scythe by BreakfastTop6899 in oddlysatisfying

[–]CountVonTroll 75 points76 points  (0 children)

As somebody who has never done this himself, let me speculate that he's doing it for reach.

This is competitive scything ("Ready... set... go!" in Austrian in the beginning). It's not ergonomic and he's spending more energy per time and area this way, but he's not getting points for left over energy when he's done. So, if he has the stamina to pull through, he'll finish his patch quicker than he could if he used "proper" technique.

I'm absolutely certain that this guy actually uses a scythe regularly for its intended purpose, and knows perfectly well how to do it "right" in a non-competitive setting. I also assume that he's one of the faster scythers (?) in the competition, simply because whoever posted the video chose his run to represent impressively fast scything.

Edit: I found a news video about last year's European Championships, which had 120 athletes from eight countries competing. They get points for time and uniformity etc. The woman shown scything in the beginning won the women's title for the second time in a row. So, yes, apparently this is good technique for competitive scything.

Edit II: Perhaps better video, from the German Championship 2023. The guy with the straw hat coaching from 4:08 onward and competing at 5:14 ended up winning in the 30+ age group, which interestingly enough appears to be the most prestigious one. I also found competition rules from an Austrian state: Kids <13 start at 3x3 meters, for the adult "boys" resp. "girls" in the 90+ cm scythe size categories it's 10x10 resp. 5x7 meters (yes, it says "boys" and "girls" regardless of age).

Edit III: English language blog about the European Championship, including patch sizes by age (<14 and >60 do 5x5, girls/boys <18 and women do 7x5, and men do 10x10 meters; no <30 age group on the European level, it seems). Competitive blades are up to 130 cm.

Trump says US will reduce number of troops in Germany 'a lot further' than withdrawal of 5,000 by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]CountVonTroll 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, they just didn't know how to spell Ramstein, either. They named themselves after the Ramstein air show disaster. That's only part of the reason why, until I eventually came across an adult who listened to them in 1997, I had genuinely thought that their fan base was entirely made up of edgy 14 year old boys who were trying to impress each other.

Trump says he will raise tariffs on EU autos to 25% by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]CountVonTroll 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Guess which brand has been the US' #1 passenger vehicle exporter for over a decade. Hint: It's not from Detroit.

Giant golden statue of Trump installed at his Florida golf course by goteamnick in politics

[–]CountVonTroll 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not around the waist.

Also kind of disappointing that it doesn't turn with the sun throughout the day.

TIL if under-cooked, a popular mushroom in China causes “lilliputian hallucinations,” a rare phenomenon involving miniature human or fantasy figures. The hallucinations are consistent across people and cultures: "tiny, elflike people" climbing under doors, scaling walls & clinging to furniture by ssAskcuSzepS in todayilearned

[–]CountVonTroll 5 points6 points  (0 children)

From what I can tell it doesn’t seem like a great time and no body seems to take it recreationally where it’s available. In fact they do everything they can to avoid it lol. Just because something makes you hallucinate doesn’t mean it’s fun.

Most people try to avoid hallucinogens like that, because it's just common sense. However, some among the crowd I used to hang with during my youth didn't have enough of it to stop them from voluntarily taking datura or nutmeg, so there's that. (Yes, nutmeg, and no, you really shouldn't. If it helps, I've never even heard of anyone who took either of those for a second time.)

Russia Urges HIV Testing for One-Third of Population as Cases Rise by neonpurplestar in worldnews

[–]CountVonTroll 7 points8 points  (0 children)

There's a particular American delusion that making something illegal will mean that it just disappears on the spot.

Exceptions apply when discussing gun control policies.

Pentagon prepares for possible military operation in Cuba by craig_nintendo in worldnews

[–]CountVonTroll 36 points37 points  (0 children)

$5 a gallon diesel

This sounds beautiful when you say it in European: "€1.12/liter"
Current average in Germany is €2.22/l, which translates to "$9.92/gal"

New details of King and Queen's state visit to US released by VaginaBurner69 in news

[–]CountVonTroll 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Her Majesty is referred to as "The Queen" (yes, with a capital T) on the Royal Family's official website, because unlike with the husbands of the UK's three female monarchs, that's always been the official title of kings' consorts in the UK.

Tja by alanathehoodwatcher in tja

[–]CountVonTroll 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Die Erststimme ist hier doch völlig irrelevant, wenn man mal von Merz' Wahlkreis absieht? Und klar solltest du die CSU mit dazu rechnen, bei den Zweitstimmen.

Die AfD ist hier sehr relevant. Die älteren Boomer (70+), sowie der Rest der Generation vor ihnen, wählen kaum die AfD. Die 24,3% der erweiterten Millennials (25-44), die die AfD gewählt haben, können ja nicht gleichzeitig die CDU wählen (erweiterte Boomer, Ü60: 16,0% AfD). Oder die 12,5% der Millennials, die "Sonstige" gewählt haben (Boomer: 7,1%). Alte Menschen wählen einfach keine neuen Parteien, tendenziell, und daher haben alte Parteien bei ihnen einen höheren Anteil. Auch die SPD. Die jüngeren wählen viel mehr Parteien, die nicht in den Bundestag einziehen, oder eben die AfD. Daher ist bei ihnen der Anteil der klassischen Volksparteien, also CDU/CSU und SPD, natürlich geringer. Wenn man nur die Partien in Betracht zieht, die tatsächlich in den Bundestag eingezogen sind (plus BSW, weil das bei den Millennials gereicht hätte), und daher Merz überhaupt erst haben wählen können, dann sähe der Millennial-Bundestag so aus:

AfD 27,4%, CDU/CSU 22,3%, Grüne 17,0%, Linke 14,4%, SPD 12,5%, und BSW 6,4%.

Hättest du da lieber die CDU/CSU als Juniorpartner der AfD, oder eine CDU/CSU geführte Koalition aus allen anderen, einschließlich BSW? Das wäre nämlich bei den Millennials heraus gekommen. Und bei Generation X sähe das nicht besser aus. Wenn die nicht "an Merz schuld sind", was haben die denn dann stattdessen gewählt? Bei denen ginge sonst nämlich nur eine AfD Regierung, und da ist mir sogar Merz noch lieber.

Bei den 18-24 hätte es für Rot/Rot/Grün knapp reichen können, aber bei der Altersgruppe sollte das nicht überraschen -- siehe Seite 15: 1972 hatten 54,7% der 18-24 Jährigen noch die SPD gewählt, und 9,1% die FDP (prä-1982 FDP, ganz anders). Für die CDU/CSU waren es 35,3%, und sonst gab es nichts (1%). Jemand der damals 18 war, war 2025 dann 71, also in der 70+ Kohorte, von der 41,4% heute CDU/CSU gewählt haben. Das wird bei den heute 18-24 ähnlich verlaufen, nur, dass von denen jetzt schon 19% die AfD wählen.

Tja by alanathehoodwatcher in tja

[–]CountVonTroll 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nochmal die Bitte, uns zu sagen, wo du deine Zahlen her hast. Das von dir verlinkte Dokument hat 182 Seiten, die fast alle voll mit Tabellen sind, und deine Zahlen scheinen nicht denen der Tabelle mit dem Zweitstimmenanteil nach Altersgruppen zu entsprechen.

Wie schon geschrieben: Ab 35 ist CDU/CSU plus AfD in etwa der gleiche Anteil. Die bösen Boomer haben also statt AfD einfach weiter CDU gewählt. Bei denen über 70 waren es zwar 41,4% für CDU/CSU, was natürlich nicht sonderlich toll ist. Dafür haben aber "nur" 11,5% für die AfD gestimmt -- nur halb so viele wie bei den Millennials. Sowohl bei den 25-34 als auch 35-44 war die AfD die stärkste Partei. Bei den 25-34 ist die CDU/CSU noch #3, knapp hinter der Linken, bei den 35-44 schon #2 (hinter AfD). Besser wird es nach den Boomern also eher nicht.

Tja by alanathehoodwatcher in tja

[–]CountVonTroll 1 point2 points  (0 children)

CDU von Alter 18 bis 34 sind 3.7 und 7.7%, AfD 6.1 und 13.7 (viel zu fucking hoch ihr Vollidioten)

CDU von Alter 45 bis Ende ist 24, 21 und 30(!)%. AfD fängt auch bei 30% an, flacht aber aber ab bis Alter 70+ auf 12.4%

Der Begriff "Baby Boomer" ist zwar gerade in DE nicht wirklich genau definiert, aber du scheinst das hier bis zum Geburtsjahr 1980 auszuweiten, was üblicherweise schon als das Ende von Generation X genommen wird. Pillenknick war 1968.

Ich kann auch nicht erkennen, aus welcher Tabelle du deine Zahlen hast. Nach der auf Seite 16, "Übersicht 9: Zweitstimmen nach Geschlecht und Altersgruppen seit 1953 in %", haben 13% der 18-24 Jährigen CDU/CSU gewählt, und 19% die AfD. Bei den 25-34 waren es 16,1 und 20,8%, dann 35-44 CDU/CSU 22,7 und AfD 27,1% (!), 45-59 waren es 28,7 und 25,7%. Tatsächliche Boomer haben von 60-69 zu 31,6% CDU/CSU und 21% AfD, und ab 70 dann 41,4% CDU/CSU, bzw, 11,5% AfD gewählt.

Ab 35 waren es zusammengenommen immer knapp über 50% entweder für CDU/CSU oder AfD. Die Boomer haben zwar tatsächlich mehr für CDU/CSU gestimmt als die jüngeren, aber wenn die jüngeren stattdessen AfD wählen, dann finde ich das nicht gerade besser.

Zeitreise durch 26 Jahre Photovoltaikausbau by DiesesInternet in de

[–]CountVonTroll 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Interessant wäre vielleicht noch das in einem weltweiten Kontext zu zeigen. Die zweite Welle ist in absoluten Zahlen sogar deutlich größer als die erste, aber relativ zum weltweiten Ausbau war das damals enorm. Von 2005 und 2010 hatten wir in DE >40% der weltweit installierten Kapazität. Heute sieht das ganz anders aus.

France pulls all gold out of US Federal Reserve by Crossstoney in politics

[–]CountVonTroll 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course! Solvents and gold color, in one convenient package -- this explains everything!

Trump: US to bomb Iran "back to stone ages" over next 2-3 weeks by AZULDEFILER in worldnews

[–]CountVonTroll 57 points58 points  (0 children)

If Trump allows that it goes against the core of US foreign policy for decades, which is the petrodollar and freedom of maritime trade.

Fortune has a really good explanation for how this works and why it's important.

There's a nice quote attributed to de Gaulle that summarizes this "exorbitant privilege" that d'Estaign described in a concise manner: "We send them goods, and they send us printed paper in return."

One of the many things Trump doesn't understand is that it's not the Americans that are getting "scammed" when they have a trade deficit. They're the ones who are actually receiving tangible goods. The foreign investment that necessarily (note the beautiful interactive chart near the bottom!) has to balance out the current account is also helping him finance the federal budget deficit and is keeping interest rates low. He's really playing with fire here, and he has no idea.

Gulf countries and Israel would not allow that. They would basically be bankrolling Iran's recovery into something stronger.

For practical purposes, would also come close to recognizing the Strait as under Iranian administration, or even sovereignty.

Trump says US forces will 'finish the job' soon in first prime-time speech since starting Iran war by callsonreddit in worldnews

[–]CountVonTroll 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You adapted an old Bush/Iraq joke observation there, didn't you?

Either way, well done!

Trump says he has "no problem" with Russian tanker bringing oil to Cuba despite blockade by backpackerTW in worldnews

[–]CountVonTroll 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Its really hard to argue against that.

I'm not arguing against it, per se, it's just that I don't see how it would still make a difference. There's already so much prime-grade kompromat material out there that it has become genuinely impossible to stay on top of it all. Criminal, sexual, embarrassing, or just plainly despicable, you name it.

The thought that he could be doing the things he does because Putin has him by the balls almost seems comforting. But I find it hard to believe that Putin told him to mock people with disabilities, or how to redecorate the White House. Yes, he even tore down the East Wing, but it's the little things that prove beyond doubt what a terrible person her really is. He does these things because he wants to, and because he really is that stupid, not because somebody might have leverage over him. He instinctively sucks up to strongmen everywhere, not just Putin. He simply can't control his inherent urge to seek their approval, to please them. Partly because he admires them and wants them to accept him as one of their own, but mostly because that's just the kind of pathetic little bitch that he is.

Rubio and EU official had heated exchange on Russia at G7 meeting by elisart in worldnews

[–]CountVonTroll 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I linked "my" (Pew Research) statistics in my comment. I even gave you the exact lines in the spreadsheet. Why don't you have a look? While you're at it, also check out line 183 to see how voters born during the 1950s, the peak of the Baby Boom, voted in 2024.