Best Of

If this is true I am shocked, though I probably shouldn't be.

European Union imports of Russian fossil fuel last year, €21.9 billion, exceeded European Union financial aid to Ukraine, €18.7 billion.
https://nitter.poast.org/PhilipWegmann/status/1957450514364305775#m

It's terrible that the EU - and particularly a handful of countries (*) have not weaned themselves off Russian O&G. But surely the figures above are not all profit to the Russian government, as there would be hefty production costs.

(*) Some for good reasons; others for bad

It's basically a sign of a lack of seriousness in supporting Ukraine to fight the war when so much money is being handed over to Russia.

The first line of a strategy for victory would be to stop sending money to Russia.

Some countries, I think Austria is one, had no alternative for gas at the beginning of the war, especially when they are landlocked. But that does not excuse them not having worked harder to massively reduce that dependence, if not totally stop it. But AFAIAA that would involve building new pipelines, which is not quick, easy or inexpensive.

Other countries are importing Russian oil and/or gas (LNG) with very little excuse aside from blatant financial self-interest.

Ukraine is doing a good job of showing the insecurity of that supply. Anyone continuing to do so has only themselves to blame if the supply ends mid-winter.

@stodge - as always - raises another very important point.

If granny* is not in a care home, then someone is going to be looking after her. And if it's not the state, then it's likely to be somebody of working age. In which case, we're stuffing the dependeny ratio again... just in a different way.

* Assuming she has dementia or is otherwise unable to look after herself.

Again in my experience, Granny is often cared for by Grandpa, or vice versa. Working age people pop in at intervals, whether family or state. I myself (then working full time) helped my father care for my mother, then had to stop work (=retire early) to care for my father.

My mother (OGH's wife) has fairly advanced dementia. But she had always been absolutely insistent that she would not be moved to a home.

OGH did all the caring for a long while. But now his mobility is not good, and so we have live in care. My sister has also given up her job so as to help support my mother.

So, sure, spouses play a significant role. But spouses can't always keep providing needed care forever.

If this is true I am shocked, though I probably shouldn't be.

European Union imports of Russian fossil fuel last year, €21.9 billion, exceeded European Union financial aid to Ukraine, €18.7 billion.
https://nitter.poast.org/PhilipWegmann/status/1957450514364305775#m

It's terrible that the EU - and particularly a handful of countries (*) have not weaned themselves off Russian O&G. But surely the figures above are not all profit to the Russian government, as there would be hefty production costs.

(*) Some for good reasons; others for bad

It's basically a sign of a lack of seriousness in supporting Ukraine to fight the war when so much money is being handed over to Russia.

The first line of a strategy for victory would be to stop sending money to Russia.

Hang on: remember Hungary is basically a full out supporter of Russia. How is the EU supposed to stop them from importing Russian oil and gas?

Ukraine can blow up more pipelines, EU can bring in rules etc on sanctions and anyone breaking them gets chucked out.

META to restructure its AI division

https://x.com/nytimes/status/1957844403415921118?s=61

I was told by somebody in the know the Zuck had got increasingly grumpy about performance of their AI models and is constantly on the staff backs about why not doing better on such and such benchmark like the other AI labs.

It sounded all a bit Gavin Belson in Silicon Valley TV show.

Or Zuck and his team have realised the Bubble is real, and are looking at ways of reducing their exposure when it pops...

I was told, he is absolutely going mental about them under performing. As for he thinks the bubble is popping, bit odd to be going around offering people footballer money with $100m's long term deals to join. Somebody was reportedly offered a $1bn contract recently. They also recently spent $15bn on scale.ai

If this is true I am shocked, though I probably shouldn't be.

European Union imports of Russian fossil fuel last year, €21.9 billion, exceeded European Union financial aid to Ukraine, €18.7 billion.
https://nitter.poast.org/PhilipWegmann/status/1957450514364305775#m

It's terrible that the EU - and particularly a handful of countries (*) have not weaned themselves off Russian O&G. But surely the figures above are not all profit to the Russian government, as there would be hefty production costs.

(*) Some for good reasons; others for bad

It's basically a sign of a lack of seriousness in supporting Ukraine to fight the war when so much money is being handed over to Russia.

The first line of a strategy for victory would be to stop sending money to Russia.

Breaking

High Court awards temporary injunction to Epping Council to block migrant housing in hotel

The problem is where do you put them and won’t this act as a green light for protests at other hotels .

Detain them at popup camps with high fences until they can be deported.

There’s plenty of military land out there, not technically difficult to have the Army fence off an area and put up 10,000 tents in a couple of weeks. They do this in other countries, and the COVID emergency plans had something similar domestically.

It’s a political will issue, not an equipment and logistics issue.

How do you stop them running away?

Desertion is a pretty serious offense.

Congratulations and well done Robert. After three hours we are still mostly on topic. It could be a PB record! Helped by Leon still being offline, thankfully.

If this is true I am shocked, though I probably shouldn't be.

European Union imports of Russian fossil fuel last year, €21.9 billion, exceeded European Union financial aid to Ukraine, €18.7 billion.
https://nitter.poast.org/PhilipWegmann/status/1957450514364305775#m

It's terrible that the EU - and particularly a handful of countries (*) have not weaned themselves off Russian O&G. But surely the figures above are not all profit to the Russian government, as there would be hefty production costs.

(*) Some for good reasons; others for bad

It's basically a sign of a lack of seriousness in supporting Ukraine to fight the war when so much money is being handed over to Russia.

The first line of a strategy for victory would be to stop sending money to Russia.

Hang on: remember Hungary is basically a full out supporter of Russia. How is the EU supposed to stop them from importing Russian oil and gas?

I forgot that Russia borders Hungary.

The oil comes via the Druzhba pipeline that runs through... Belarus and Ukraine. It doesn't pass through the EU at any point.