CaptainZapp

I just paid CHF 15.90 for the e-book version of Careless People.

Congratulations Assholes!

Sure, art is subjective to some extent. But reducing the value of a Henry Moore piece to the value of the material is, well, not very insightful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Moore

The split must have happened in the mid nineties (I think) with SQL Server 6 and Sybase 10. The next version after 4.9.

It's notable that 10 was the worst Sybase version, ever.

Source: I worked for Sybase Professional Services from 95 - 99.

SQL Server was Sybase until (I think) version 4.9, just rebranded as Microsoft SQL Server.

Then the two versions split and I don't think that any of the Sybase source code remains in what is SQL Server today.

That said, a lot of the concepts (like a significant number of system stored procedures) and also TSQL remain almost the same, with small differences (except for system functions, which SQL Server has a lot more functionality).

When you come from the Sybase world getting a start on SQL Server is quite straight forward when it comes to handling the database.

Internals and other low level nuts and bolts differ nowadays, of course.

In defense of Deutsche Bahn, countries with comparable infrastructure but more reliable transport have put in about twice as much money per capita for the last 30 years at least.

Why is that "in defense?"

When you let your infrastructure rot away since the 90s of the last century for something as complex as a train network by brutally underinvesting.

Then you seriously fucked up. There's nothing to defend here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenVMS

That's a matter of taste.

I, for one, can't stand this fake chumminess you often experience in American restaurants.

AI can’t do your job

But an AI salesman can convince your boss to fire you and replace you with a chatbot that can’t do your job.

Cory Doctorow

It doesn't always work out, though

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/air-canada-cha...

Davos? Lefty elites?

I rest my case.

An online course, even if offered by a reputable medical institution, hardly backs your argument.

People in Switzerland and the EU are being de-banked by local banks because of US pressure allowing them to force any bank that wants to use USD

That's not quit accurate.

American citizens will indeed have a very hard time to open a bank account in Switzerland. But the reason is not so much free speech than FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) [0] [1]

The requirements to host bank accounts for Americans are so onerous that banks rather forgo business with such clients than having to deal with the legal mess it incurs.

Another reason for a bank not wanting to deal with customers are if they are on a sanctions list. People winding up on such lists usually don't do so, because they said something nasty about Mr. Trump.

This, alas, may change if you look who got sanctioned in recent times just for raising the ire of the president (such as EC commissioners or ICC judges).

[0] https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/tax-policy/foreign-a... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Account_Tax_Compliance...

Trains are still great. Especially the newer generation ICEs are beautiful trains and very comfortable.

Just don't count on them that they bring you to your destination in a timely manner.

we look at Germany trains (and Switzerland trains) as always on time

When taking an international train from Germany to Switzerland, don't count on it that it will run through to the final destination.

SBB (Swiss National Railways) started to block German trains if their delay is more than 15 minutes (so, basically every DB train) and won't allow the train on their network.

This is only peripherically educational. Constantly delayed DB trains completely fouled up the scheduling on the extremely dense Swiss network. So they just won't allow it anymore.

On a sidenote: In 2024 SBB trains were 93.2% punctual. Connectivity punctuality (where you have to catch a connecting train) was 98.7%. A train is counted as punctual if the delay is less than 3 minutes (half the German figure).

Obligatory link:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2023/oct/08/...

and they were charlatans who wanted funding and hype, or signal how cutting edge they are

Interesting that those same hucksters and shysters who spread the gospel of the blockchain immediately jumped on th AI bandwaggon when this was the shiny new thing.

Or, maybe, 40 years working in IT turned me slightly cynical.

A Sam Altman project which seemingly popped up out of nowhere, and offered people free money

Was it free money? I recall that it was some shitcoin token paid out, which may or may not be worth something.

I could be wrong, of course.

Why, By suing their advertisers, of course.

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/01/nx-s1-5283271/elon-musk-lawsu...

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/x-twitter-ad-revenue-camp...

I sincerely hope that CBP calmly and politely

Politely?

So if you say vacation, you better show hotel reservations from start to finish dates, return ticket and all.

I have no argument with the return ticket. Most countries insist that you have a return flight as a condition of entering.

But having hotel reservations for the entire duration is just ludicrous.

I often travel to places for which I have a reservation at the destination for a couple of nights and then take it from there.

Going to Japan for almost a month with a 3 week JR rail pass makes it just about unthinkable to have the entire journey planned.

So, I guess, no more US for me. Not that I'm currently tempted.

I'm not so sure:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/27/canada-us-flig...

"Airline travel between Canada and the US is “collapsing” amid Donald Trump’s tariff war, with flight bookings between the two countries down by over 70%, newly released data suggests."

She said Wynn-Williams’ allegations about Kaplan are false, and in a Thursday statement, she called the book “defamatory” and alleged that Wynn-Williams had skipped “the industry’s standard fact-checking process.

(emph, mine)

This, coming from a Meta spokesperson, is rather rich.

I fully acknowledge that it will result in mistakes

Yep, but as opposed to a startup those "mistakes" will be deadly.

Literally so.

What about just plugging an USB stick with whatever you want to watch into the TV?

Well,

https://www.sciencealert.com/plants-really-do-scream-weve-si...

You can absolutely walk in an have an MRI made at any time.

It's just not paid for by your health insurance.

The general slowness extends to simple things like x-rays and blood tests too. This is not just US but whole of the west seems to have the exact same attitude.

In Switzerland I get an MRI within 48 hours if my doctor orders it.

Mind you, healthcare is also very expensive comparatively but the quality is very high and coverage is extensive.

Zurich has very similar situation, just way more restricted for free lake swimming.

Why restricted? With very few exceptions (i.e. path to and from emergency services) you can hop anywhere into the lake.

I'd advise caution at some places (i.e piers where passenger ships dock) but else than that you can just hop in, wherever you like.

At least, within city limits.

And it massively improves backup times (let alone, restores)

Mr. Kurtz, is that you?