Tank guns that cannot fire because important parts are missing. Electrical or hydraulic systems not working.
New information on a donation of at least 100 Leopard 1 tanks to #Ukraine from #Denmark, #Germany and the #Netherlands reveals a number of serious problems.
Made a last pre-move visit to #ESTEC today, in part to hand back a laptop charger that I’d forgotten about 🤷♂️💻
Was kindly greeted at reception by the highest representative of the establishment, Micky the Space Cat, who has been at the place even longer than my 15 years 😽🤷♂️
Saw a few of my science colleagues too & said farewell for now … but I know we’ll be in touch & that I’ll be back soon enough ✊
I honestly do not know how to explain to someone why they should care about keeping their data secure. It's so glaringly obvious to me that this needs to be done, it's like asking why having access to clean water is necessary.
I find it very scary, in the #Netherlands, I grew up with stories about how when the Nazis conquered NL, our great census data made it super easy for the Nazis to find the Jews. That was enough reason for us to not save as much data about our population anymore.
Here in #Germany, after the war, they had the Stasi, using seemingly trivial personal data to make targets feel like they were losing their mind.
NL seems to have forgotten the lesson by now, DE not as much yet.
@clive If you are writing about ebikes I'm sure you know that #ebikes outsell non-ebikes in The Netherlands. In 2022, 486,000 of 855,000 new bikes sold were electric: hundreds of thousands of cargo delivery bikes, family bikes, and everyday get-around-the-city bikes.
If ebikes make sense to people using flat, safe #Netherlands roads, surely they make even more sense to use on the hilly, car-clogged streets in the rest of the world.
The lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has announced that he is seeking arrest warrants for Benjamin #Netanyahu and Yahya #Sinwar, along with senior figures of their respective regimes, for the commission of #WarCrimes and #CrimesAgainstHumanity.
Amidst the predictable performative outrage from the US political elite, one fact is barely reported upon: the US is amongst a handful of nations that does not recognise the #ICC, and has on its books a 2002 law (colloquially dubbed 'the Hague Invasion Act') threatening war upon the #Netherlands (!) should any US citizen (or the citizen of any US ally) be brought for trial before the ICC.
Given the fact that the #US routinely fails to follow its own laws, let alone #InternationalLaw, when it comes to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the chances of an actual US invasion of the European lowlands is scant. Nonetheless, the rogue nature of #USexceptionalism is the always the elephant in the room when it comes to all discussions of accountability for the most egregious crimes of #geopolitics.
Another lovely May evening ride, albeit with a brisk northerly wind 💨
Inland to Vogelenzang, including part of the Leidsevaart with its daisies, then back along the coast & past the beaches, then to Noordwijk & its new Ferris wheel, before the riding home through dunes to Wassenaar in the dusk 🎡
The view from my hotel room in Kampen, where I’m staying for a few days to play at a wonderful chamber music festival. In the picture the huge cathedral that towers over the town. #iphone#blackandwhitephotography#Netherlands#music#ontour
Enormous hugs 🤗 and strength 💪 to those of you in the #Netherlands dealing with this enclave of actual nazis and their alleged conservative/centrist collaborators. Who have revealed themselves also as nazis.
This unthinkable group of filth will not dim your own ideals or resistance.
Please RT for reach: I’m trying to #FOIA records on computer intrusions into DOD systems during first Gulf War (1990), I have a GAO report which gives a high level summary but am looking for more.
Does anyone know what DOD department might have investigated #hacking back then?
From Otjes, S. & de Jonge, L., "The Netherlands: Political Developments and Data in 2023: Two Landslide Populist Victories", European Journal of Political Research (2024).