So Tired: Some Trump Gang pics, an apology and an open thread

Sleep disorders really knock you for six. I hope you can get that sorted soon.

Here’s an interesting story: How Russian bots used Mollie Tibbetts’ death to distract from Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort:

A network of Russian-linked Twitter accounts have been disseminating divisive content about Mollie Tibbetts’ death in an apparent attempt to divert attention from explosive news surrounding Donald Trump and his former associates.

Almost immediately after a guilty verdict was announced in the trial of Paul Manafort, the president’s former campaign chairman convicted on eight counts of bank and tax fraud charges, there was a flurry of activity among hundreds of pro-Kremlin Twitter accounts believed to be controlled by Russian government influence operations. Those accounts began posting thousands of tweets about Ms Tibbetts, the 20-year-old University of Iowa student who had been missing for nearly five weeks.

Russia’s sowing of discord could get people killed – in more than one way. Russian trolls ‘spreading discord’ over vaccine safety online:

Bots and Russian trolls spread misinformation about vaccines on Twitter to sow division and distribute malicious content before and during the American presidential election, according to a new study.

Scientists at George Washington University, in Washington DC, made the discovery while trying to improve social media communications for public health workers, researchers said. Instead, they found trolls and bots skewing online debate and upending consensus about vaccine safety.

The study discovered several accounts, now known to belong to the same Russian trolls who interfered in the US election, as well as marketing and malware bots, tweeting about vaccines.

Russian trolls played both sides, the researchers said, tweeting pro- and anti-vaccine content in a politically charged context.

When you turn people against vaccination, lives can be ruined, and lost.

That one of Hannity looks like he’s watching a porno.

Hope your woes end soon David.

I am on a new semester of college. Intermediate Financial Accounting and English. I don’t think I’ll fail at either but I still have my worries. Like how my folks are complaining that it’ll take me forever to graduate even though I’m trying to make sure I get A’s in both these classes.

My Escitalopram is working just fine. I even get a bunch of vivid dreams like working together with random strangers to solve crimes to becoming the CFO of a fortune 500 company. Bunch of random things but it’s certainly made my sleep much more entertaining.

The dumpster-fire’s 1:00AM tweet

“NO OCCLUSION!! BIG DITCH FRONT!!!”

got some internet feedback

… waitaminnit, did I get that correct…?

🙂 🙂

Sorry to hear, David. Rest up for as long as you need, and we will keep things going here.

@Gijoel,

That one of Hannity looks like he’s watching a porno.

*scrolls up to look again*
Not … a very good porno?

I will also use this open thread to complain (briefly, don’t worry) about the current state of Oz politics. We’ve just had a massive leadership spill, resulting in the sitting Prime Minister being ousted (no tears there), and replaced by a Pentecostal far-right-wing dude who once cuddled a lump of coal in Parliament (lots of tears). A third guy who was competing with him for the leadership is even worse (I mean, Lauren Southern loves him, so that’s all you need to know), so it’s a tiny consolation that he didn’t get in. Both of them have played a large role in locking up, torturing, and otherwise tormenting asylum-seekers.

Six Prime Ministers in eight years *sob*

@Mish

If it wasn’t for the fact they’re literally ruining our country with their escapades, I’d say it was the best show in town. It was certainly entertaining watching Turnbull (the now ex-PM for those not in Oz) manipulate events to prevent Dutton (the conservative Christian member who is an ex-officer of the most corrupt police force in all of Australia) from becoming PM. He also managed to get a handy list of the traitors’ names by forcing Dutton and co to produce a petition before he would call a party meeting to allow a leadership spill. This was undoubtedly done to give the new PM (the coal-hugging dude) time to shore up support for ScoMo, since Turnbull knew he himself was gone, and to give the new PM a fighting chance of building a loyal team of ministers (in the US I think you would call those Secretaries? Except in Australia they have to be elected members of parliament, they can’t just be appointed by the PM).

But you’re right, Mish, it does suck. They should have forced Tony Abbott out of parliament when he was toppled as PM. He’s definitely been a wrecker, which he promised not to do. How anyone believes anything he says anymore is a total mystery to me. I’m trying to work out how I’ll teach my students about this period in history in 20 years time. I feel like they’re not going to believe me.

Wedding anniversary update.

Went out for Lebanese meal with family. Was greeted by 2 year old granddaughter with ‘Happy ‘ners’ry, granny’. Unsurprisingly, she was decked out in sparkly dress that I’d given her, star-sparkle cardy also from me and sequins on the toes of her little boots. Being nearly 3 years old, she’s well on the way to being fully toilet trained – as the whole cafe discovered when she returned with her mother from the loos announcing “I did a Poo! In the Toilet!” However, her efforts to get the whole table to sing along with her repeated renditions of The wheels on the bus didn’t get beyond mummy and granny.

The meal was great. Gorgeous little cushions of pita bread I’ve never seen before. And an invention of the chef (maybe copied from elsewhere but could be original) a Zoccaccia. A kind of cross between pizza and foccaccia with a divine topping-filling of chicken marinated with sumac and some other delectables. A five person platter of mezze with fairly predictable pink pickled turnip, hummus and all the rest of it, but really well done. There were ten of us so we had lots of other stuff as well. Then the sweets. Pistachios galore, honey or rosewater or orange syrup drenched goodies piled high along a couple of metres of counter + refrigerated cabinets – you could waste hours just deciding between-among baklava, syrup cakes, date-filled wotsits.

And the card from the kids? Addressed to the “most perfectly matched couple we know”. Along with a gigantic bunch of deep red roses, carnations and near-black kangaroo paws (40 years = ruby) with lacy white fillers and assorted greenery.

Great fun.

I’m trying to work out how I’ll teach my students about this period in history in 20 years time

To paraphrase Philomena Cunk, I think future documentaries about current political affairs will just be news footage and ominous music.

ETA: Happy Anniversary mildlymagnificent!

May the curse of David’s filter pictures befall each and every last one of these bastards.

Happy anniversary, @mildlymagnificent! That sounds really lovely 🙂

re Oz politics – there was a news item on TV here in Blighty last night where they interviewed an Australian journalist (unfortunately I didn’t catch his name) to get a kind of potted-summary-for-a-non-Australian-audience. The whole thing treated the subject seriously, of course. Then just at the end he looked into the camera, very deadpan (it was the delivery. Just something about the way he said it) and laconically added “we have a saying here in Australia, when we get a new Prime Minister it’s a good time to change the batteries in your smoke alarm. Because it’s probably been about twelve months.”

Happy anniversary, Mildly Magnificent. It sounds magnificent! All the best to you both for many more.

David take care of yourself. Sleep is such a pain! Hope you are better soon.

@Victorious Parasol:

The cynic in me expects that the impact of this article on the wider society will range somewhere from “none” to “reduces the sexist myth of the passive female lying back and thinking of England, with the chief beneficiary rival being the sexist myth of women as the sexual gatekeepers”.