Joost
@almodozo.bsky.social
Holland > Hungary > Spain
Same @almodozo as on Twitter, just without the Országház. Worked at OSF and CEU, but that's a long while ago. Studied East-European History, but that's even longer ago. Now, somehow, I ended up in Extremadura.
Same @almodozo as on Twitter, just without the Országház. Worked at OSF and CEU, but that's a long while ago. Studied East-European History, but that's even longer ago. Now, somehow, I ended up in Extremadura.
Pinned
Joost
@almodozo.bsky.social
· Sep 21
Not going to update my ancient Twitter bio, but I mostly post about:
— Elections and polls
— Central/East-European politics
— The war in Ukraine
— Maps and charts
— Dutch and Spanish politics
— Budapest memories, life in Extremadura
— The left, a love/hate relationship
— Media, archiving, minorities
— Elections and polls
— Central/East-European politics
— The war in Ukraine
— Maps and charts
— Dutch and Spanish politics
— Budapest memories, life in Extremadura
— The left, a love/hate relationship
— Media, archiving, minorities
Visually a bit striking to see these items back to back...
November 26, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Visually a bit striking to see these items back to back...
Trump's own Press Secretary all but calling him a liar: "then President Trump comes out with an announcement and those things are not always true"
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 25, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Trump's own Press Secretary all but calling him a liar: "then President Trump comes out with an announcement and those things are not always true"
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Here, Trump net favorability is down from late-2023/2024 peaks among Hispanic and Black respondents, but still higher than it had been previously. Not down among white voters at all.
Trump net favorability by race and ethnicity, 2022-25. Decline among Hispanic respondents in 2025 is notable after gains in 2023-24.
November 25, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Here, Trump net favorability is down from late-2023/2024 peaks among Hispanic and Black respondents, but still higher than it had been previously. Not down among white voters at all.
With the great mobilization for Catalan independence in the rearview mirror, the electorate of the independentista right has turned to xenophobia instead. The Aliança Catalana has soared, robbing Junts of half its vote. Junts now all the less likely to allow the Sánchez govt to pass anything at all
Aliança Catalana alcanzaría a Junts y aspira a ser tercera fuerza en Catalunya, según el barómetro del CEO
La formación de Sílvia Orriols atraparía a la de Carles Puigdemont, ambas con 19-20 escaños, de acuerdo con la encuesta de la Generalitat de Catalunya realizada entre octubre y noviembre
www.eldiario.es
November 24, 2025 at 12:00 PM
With the great mobilization for Catalan independence in the rearview mirror, the electorate of the independentista right has turned to xenophobia instead. The Aliança Catalana has soared, robbing Junts of half its vote. Junts now all the less likely to allow the Sánchez govt to pass anything at all
"Denmark, for example, has contributed over €10 billion to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, equal to nearly 3 percent of its gross domestic product. Spain, on the other hand, has given €1.48 billion, or less than 0.2 percent of its GDP"
www.politico.eu/article/nord...
www.politico.eu/article/nord...
Nordic countries paying most for Ukraine ‘not sustainable,’ Swedish foreign minister says
The EU must seize Russia’s frozen assets, Maria Malmer Stenergard believes, because any other solution would be unfair to Ukraine’s biggest backers.
www.politico.eu
November 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM
"Denmark, for example, has contributed over €10 billion to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, equal to nearly 3 percent of its gross domestic product. Spain, on the other hand, has given €1.48 billion, or less than 0.2 percent of its GDP"
www.politico.eu/article/nord...
www.politico.eu/article/nord...
The problem here is that the guide helps Wikipedia editors to spot AI language by identifying "turns of phrase that are rare on Wikipedia but common on the internet at large (and thus, common in the model’s training data)". Which doesn't help you very much at all on, well, "the internet at large".
Identifying AI-generated writing is not as hard as it looks techcrunch.com/2025/11/20/t...
The best guide to spotting AI writing comes from Wikipedia | TechCrunch
Wikipedia's guide to “Signs of AI writing” is a great resource for learning to spot LLM-generated prose.
techcrunch.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:09 PM
The problem here is that the guide helps Wikipedia editors to spot AI language by identifying "turns of phrase that are rare on Wikipedia but common on the internet at large (and thus, common in the model’s training data)". Which doesn't help you very much at all on, well, "the internet at large".
"I idly googled the authors of a few of the pitches that looked most blatantly written by AI. I saw their bylines across the internet—a web of lies and uncanny half-truths entrenched so deeply in the information ecosystem that no one could possibly have the energy to dislodge them"
“Every media era gets the fabulists it deserves.” Stories at four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, were removed after an investigation by The Local. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 10:57 PM
"I idly googled the authors of a few of the pitches that looked most blatantly written by AI. I saw their bylines across the internet—a web of lies and uncanny half-truths entrenched so deeply in the information ecosystem that no one could possibly have the energy to dislodge them"
Americans/people nowadays be crazy. Complaining about being "stuck" in "starter" houses that "feel a lot smaller than they used to," and what they're talking about is a 3-bedroom house for a couple with 2 kids, or a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom house for a couple with a toddler and a baby on the way
They Rushed to Buy Homes During the Pandemic. Now, Some Feel Trapped.
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Americans/people nowadays be crazy. Complaining about being "stuck" in "starter" houses that "feel a lot smaller than they used to," and what they're talking about is a 3-bedroom house for a couple with 2 kids, or a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom house for a couple with a toddler and a baby on the way
Fetterman: dark, but not deep
"The voice in this book is brooding but not particularly thoughtful... Anyone who has experienced depression will probably recognize the overgeneralization, the binary thinking, the closed loop of self-pity."
"The voice in this book is brooding but not particularly thoughtful... Anyone who has experienced depression will probably recognize the overgeneralization, the binary thinking, the closed loop of self-pity."
John Fetterman’s Memoir Is Unlike Any Politician’s Book You’ve Read
www.nytimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Fetterman: dark, but not deep
"The voice in this book is brooding but not particularly thoughtful... Anyone who has experienced depression will probably recognize the overgeneralization, the binary thinking, the closed loop of self-pity."
"The voice in this book is brooding but not particularly thoughtful... Anyone who has experienced depression will probably recognize the overgeneralization, the binary thinking, the closed loop of self-pity."
I know it's just a formality because they're going by European party families, but it's still funny to see "Communist" pop up in a chart about Dutch politics. I don't think a communist party has been active nationally in the Netherlands in 20 years, and none has made a dent in over 40 🙂
"How Regions That Don’t Matter Vote for Parties That Don’t Bother"
What an absolutely BRILLIANT subtitle of this fascinating new article by @evertmeijers.bsky.social & @jvanslageren.bsky.social that perfectly captures this ironic paradox of (Dutch) politics.
What an absolutely BRILLIANT subtitle of this fascinating new article by @evertmeijers.bsky.social & @jvanslageren.bsky.social that perfectly captures this ironic paradox of (Dutch) politics.
Unequal Political Representation of Core and Periphery: How Regions That Don’t Matter Vote for Parties That Don’t Bother
Geographical orientation of political party families in the Netherlands, 2017-2021.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:23 PM
I know it's just a formality because they're going by European party families, but it's still funny to see "Communist" pop up in a chart about Dutch politics. I don't think a communist party has been active nationally in the Netherlands in 20 years, and none has made a dent in over 40 🙂
I've done some shitty jobs, but I can't imagine the humiliation of turning my life into ragebait
www.businessinsider.com/tried-being-...
www.businessinsider.com/tried-being-...
November 14, 2025 at 4:21 PM
I've done some shitty jobs, but I can't imagine the humiliation of turning my life into ragebait
www.businessinsider.com/tried-being-...
www.businessinsider.com/tried-being-...
The Guardian straight up calling out its own columnists with the links it inserts into their pieces
November 10, 2025 at 10:17 PM
The Guardian straight up calling out its own columnists with the links it inserts into their pieces
In today's AI headlines: birth rate set to drop to zero
November 10, 2025 at 5:48 PM
In today's AI headlines: birth rate set to drop to zero
Reposted by Joost
The most positive gloss IU leader Antonio Maíllo can think of putting on the current state of Spain's government is that Sánchez heads a Schrödinger Cat Cabinet: it both is (since Junts' position won't "change its maintenance") and isn't (since it won't be able to pass any laws or a budget)
November 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM
The most positive gloss IU leader Antonio Maíllo can think of putting on the current state of Spain's government is that Sánchez heads a Schrödinger Cat Cabinet: it both is (since Junts' position won't "change its maintenance") and isn't (since it won't be able to pass any laws or a budget)
Hinchliff had the whip restored yesterday, but nature defenders have as hard a time as ever getting a hearing with Starmer's government, and his account of the prevailing culture doesn't surprise at all
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
November 9, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Hinchliff had the whip restored yesterday, but nature defenders have as hard a time as ever getting a hearing with Starmer's government, and his account of the prevailing culture doesn't surprise at all
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
0.3% for Pete Buttigieg, lol
But 0.8% for Jasmine Crockett, almost as much as AOC
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
But 0.8% for Jasmine Crockett, almost as much as AOC
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Poll: Democrats have no idea who their leader is
Only one person hit double digits.
www.politico.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:28 PM
0.3% for Pete Buttigieg, lol
But 0.8% for Jasmine Crockett, almost as much as AOC
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
But 0.8% for Jasmine Crockett, almost as much as AOC
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist would probably be better if its playlist was less... ordinary
November 7, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist would probably be better if its playlist was less... ordinary
The Hispanic population in the Rio Grande Valley is obviously very different from the Hispanic communities in Greater New York or Washington. Still, maybe some first jitters in the GOP camp about their brand new Texas map?
November 5, 2025 at 12:05 PM
The Hispanic population in the Rio Grande Valley is obviously very different from the Hispanic communities in Greater New York or Washington. Still, maybe some first jitters in the GOP camp about their brand new Texas map?
Six months before the election, the Orbán machine buys up Blikk as well. With so few independent outlets left, "many journalists who have decided to stay say they are in a difficult position as there are not many other outlets left to which they could apply."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Shock as Orbán allies take ownership of Hungary’s most-read newspaper
Blikk, a tabloid with about 3 million online monthly readers, bought by pro-Orbán media group Indamedia
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Six months before the election, the Orbán machine buys up Blikk as well. With so few independent outlets left, "many journalists who have decided to stay say they are in a difficult position as there are not many other outlets left to which they could apply."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Reposted by Joost
November 5, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Tangential, but one thing I hate is how, maybe because of my age, something can unlock a memory but not any identifying detail.
As I read this post, images popped into my mind from a short film I saw decades ago, but not the title, director, etc.
Found it: www.film-documentaire.fr/4DACTION/w_f...
As I read this post, images popped into my mind from a short film I saw decades ago, but not the title, director, etc.
Found it: www.film-documentaire.fr/4DACTION/w_f...
November 3, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Tangential, but one thing I hate is how, maybe because of my age, something can unlock a memory but not any identifying detail.
As I read this post, images popped into my mind from a short film I saw decades ago, but not the title, director, etc.
Found it: www.film-documentaire.fr/4DACTION/w_f...
As I read this post, images popped into my mind from a short film I saw decades ago, but not the title, director, etc.
Found it: www.film-documentaire.fr/4DACTION/w_f...
Remember how Teen Vogue became an unlikely source of critical journalism?
Yeah, that's over...
Yeah, that's over...
...and less than 24 hours later Condé Nast has fired Lex and the rest of the Teen Vogue political desk, even as stories like this were bringing huge numbers of readers to the site
dissatisfied by the New York Times coverage of Zohran Mamdani?
great news! I talked to the guy Thursday about his campaign’s success at bringing community together beyond this election, and contextualized how it’s potentially shifted youth engagement with politics by simply listening @teenvogue.com
great news! I talked to the guy Thursday about his campaign’s success at bringing community together beyond this election, and contextualized how it’s potentially shifted youth engagement with politics by simply listening @teenvogue.com
November 3, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Remember how Teen Vogue became an unlikely source of critical journalism?
Yeah, that's over...
Yeah, that's over...
AI helping us learn about history
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 PM
AI helping us learn about history
"The villagers could still see each other by climbing hills, but on the eastern side waving and shouting were prohibited. One woman was put on a Stasi watch list for responding “same to you” to a (Bavarian) villager who wished her “happy new year”."
Mödlareuth: www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
Mödlareuth: www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
Big trouble in ‘Little Berlin’: the tiny hamlet split in two by the cold war
A new museum in Mödlareuth tells the story of how a settlement of only 50 people straddled Bavaria in West Germany and Thuringia in the east
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:35 PM
"The villagers could still see each other by climbing hills, but on the eastern side waving and shouting were prohibited. One woman was put on a Stasi watch list for responding “same to you” to a (Bavarian) villager who wished her “happy new year”."
Mödlareuth: www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
Mödlareuth: www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...