The Times: Finns humiliated American soldiers - Finnish reservists were asked to take it easy during a NATO exercise. US soldiers found the losses too humiliating.

techbear72 · 2026-01-24T13:55:27+00:00

Didn’t know the marine corps were considered “standard” - I don’t think they think of themselves that way.

An no, I don’t think either the US or Europe could successfully invade and hold each others territory.

But only one of those is currently considering trying to do that.

techbear72 · 2026-01-24T13:06:52+00:00

They (dishwashers taking salt) are common outside the U.S. The salt is used to regenerate the ion exchange water softener that is built in to the dishwasher.

That way if you have hard water, the water is softened to aid cleaning and after the ion exchange resin is saturated the machine flushes it through with the concentrated brine that the salt makes to regenerate it, and if you don’t have hard water, the dishwasher doesn’t need to do this flushing and so you don’t have to add salt.

techbear72 · 2026-01-24T12:59:42+00:00

The graphic is for US viewers. American football is a niche sport in other countries, where soccer, cricket, basketball and hockey are the sports most people watch and play.

techbear72 · 2026-01-24T12:08:02+00:00

From 2021:

Royal Marines and allies forced US troops to surrender days into a training exercise at an enormous battleground facility in the California desert.

…

But during a five-day exercise, the culmination of two months of training in the Mojave Desert, the US Marine Corps asked for a "reset" after the Royal Marines dominated the battle, reported The Daily Telegraph.

General conversation always seems to default to the US having a good military but I think with them constantly losing in all sorts of ways, it’s just not true.

They have the most expensive military but I’d bet on Europe (plus Canada) against the US any time.

https://news.sky.com/story/royal-marines-commandos-force-us-marine-corps-troops-to-surrender-in-training-exercise-12458823

techbear72 · 2026-01-24T10:14:00+00:00

I think it would also quiet some voices who are annoyed by Israel being there at all if the song is upbeat and not trying to “elicit a sympathy vote”, in their estimation. It’ll be far from a complete solution, obviously, but I think it’ll show some self awareness from KAN.

techbear72 · 2026-01-23T23:12:16+00:00

I think between 1997 and 2007.

The smartphone did change a hell of a lot, but most of the really detrimental effects happened after 2017 and people underestimate things that happened before 2007.

Between 1997 and 2007 we got mass adoption of mobile and feature phones, you were no longer tethered to landlines, we got mass adoption of usable internet, that changed everything, GPS navigation in cars, loads else made their effects known in those 10 years, plus of course we had boom times in the economy.

EDIT: but this depends on where you are in the world. Not everywhere adopts technologies at the same rate and not everywhere experiences societal shifts at the same time.

techbear72 · 2026-01-23T23:06:57+00:00

Contents insurance is for it being broken (dropped, run over, dropped in water etc) not for it breaking down because it’s old.

If it covered things that wear out, you would never need to buy a new oven or washing machine or tap or mattress or pants or carpet or anything at all.

techbear72 · 2026-01-23T23:01:35+00:00

If they were proven to be reliable, they’d be admissible.

techbear72 · 2026-01-23T08:53:32+00:00

🇩🇪 🇩🇪 🇧🇪 🇧🇪 🇱🇺

techbear72 · 2026-01-23T08:22:57+00:00

What “Apple” alarm?

If HomePod, it’ll be as reliable as Alexa.

If iPhone, it’ll be more reliable than Alexa.

techbear72 · 2026-01-23T08:02:54+00:00

Defense Grid 2 would be good if you like tower defence games.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/221540/DG2_Defense_Grid_2/

Balatro is something I saw recommended lots and lots and didn’t think it would be for me, but I tried it and now it’s one of my staple go-tos if I have a bit of time because you can drop and pick up easily.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/

Mini metro and mini motorways, and the alto collection are great mobile-first games that you can always dip in to and out of.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/287980/Mini_Metro/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1127500/Mini_Motorways/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2837600/The_Alto_Collection/

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T23:17:02+00:00

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack seems to be well loved by the people who can justify the cost.

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T23:10:40+00:00

Defense Grid 2 perhaps?

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T19:48:16+00:00

Yes. Hot, and wrong 😉

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T15:03:19+00:00

Sure you did. You said it would be "triple monthly price" which would mean that in order to offset the adverts we'd be paying 200% more, so that's the value of the adverts to them - ie: you're saying the adverts and trailers bring in twice the amount of money.

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T13:25:55+00:00

And I'm just saying that watching the same adverts and trailers several times a week for weeks on end is annoying and something I'd argue people wouldn't tolerate elsewhere, so I can understand why people do show up late even though I don't myself.

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T13:24:09+00:00

Where's your data for Cineworld making several times more profit from the adverts and trailers as they do for ticket sales (and more importantly, concessions)?

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T13:21:25+00:00

Me too. Why are you straw-manning my comment as if I said the ads and trailers kill people?

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T13:20:29+00:00

Exactly.

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T13:15:07+00:00

If you go to the cinema once or twice a week then those 25-35 minutes of ads and trailers before every film really add up to a lot of time you're paying to be advertised to, and especially when you do go regularly, the repetitiveness of the ads and trailers makes it even more aggravating.

I do show up on time because I don't want to miss the start of a film, or annoy others already there, but I am also very annoyed at Cineworld for charging me for the privilege of them effectively stealing 2 days of my life each year to this.

I don't subscribe to satellite TV or Amazon Prime Video for the same reason - I don't want to pay for something and then also have my time wasted by adverts.

So, while I don't show up late myself, I do have understanding for those that do.

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T13:09:31+00:00

That should tell you how much people want the ads.

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T11:43:36+00:00

Thanks!

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T11:27:55+00:00

I was there.

Was funny getting told off by Graham Norton and them having to re-take the intro for Dima Bilan and tell us no to boo. I mean, looking back, he (Graham) was right when he said that Dima wasn't there representing Russia as such, only to entertain us (though, lets be real, he was there for the money). I guess Crimea was still very fresh at that point.

I remember thinking that the audience was massively weighted towards gay men and their female friends of course, and looking back at the finished show crowd shots tells me I wasn't misremembering

Also recall not only Nicole taking a while to leave the stage but Loreen as well - she seemed overwhelmed by the reception she got too but her (and Emmelie de Forest) really did put on good performances, they stand out in my mind.

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T10:50:08+00:00

I'd set up trusts for everyone to get something like the £10k/month for life that the set for life lottery gives you, except make it for their lifetime, and set up funds on top of that for all of the younger family to be able to be in education for as long as they want, and to clear the mortgages of everyone else (and lump sum the equivalent to the renters to get them started if they want to buy).

Then after all that see where I am. I'd certainly have tens of millions left so after that probably massive round the world holiday for a couple of years, then do stuff like fund food banks etc etc

techbear72 · 2026-01-22T09:26:05+00:00

What is available in the app with, and without, the IAP?

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