Iran has responded to Trump’s assassination-by-drone of Qasem Soleimani with a barrage of ballistic missiles aimed at two US air bases in Iraq. So I guess Trump has gotten the war he wanted. Fuck.
This tweet offers some insight into the question of just how prepared the administration is for the conflict Trump has triggered.
Open thread. No trolls.
@Lyzzy
I don’t speak German, but I can try to paraphrase the thread. Basically, a newspaper headline was published that said “Iranian missile attack resulted in casualties among Iraqis only.” This wording implies that Iraqi lives are less important than American lives, which is a dangerous assumption. During the Iraq war, the same view was prevalent.
@Moggie, Crip Dyke
Seconded.
Okay, I don’t have twitter so now I need David or someone to go research how this tweet happened, because I can not look away from the flames on this guy’s skin:
https://twitter.com/JacquelynGill/status/1214367143837544448
@Crip Dyke
I concur. Please keep doing things that help you feel better and don’t push your boundaries to your limits.
I could help in researching pictures of burned skin in case David or anyone wants me to. For me this would be a highly rewarding learning experience based on medical books and a bit of experience both as patient and as a first responder. I could be contacted via the .net email (encryption would be preferred) or could create another one. I could also install any messenger / irc etc. that runs on linux or android and is not too leaky. I would need some time / help to get the pictures from twitter because I am not used to thinking in the way twitter arranges its threads — it confuses me and it is too bright, reactive and cheerful.
I am not afraid of my reputation as a medical technician, I just don’t want to end up with yet another cellphone I have to repair/disable and possibly destroy.
@Ohlmann, Makroth
I am very sorry for speaking out of turn, reacting in stress instead of responding calmly and for stressing out others. I confused myself by listening to a podcast I wanted to share in response to the paper then half-remembered some plans, became chatty and possibly scary for a bit then tried to fix the misunderstanding by being bossy when some sort of network spike hit my hardware, so I became more stressed instead of becoming calm. I’ve known for a while that mixing education and medicine can be dangerous because one side wants one to be calm and reasonable (if sometimes a bit mean) and the other wants one to be as skillful as possible and does not mind me being a bit rude as long as I reach my goal of providing quality care and can work together with my team. I took too long to decide between these two worlds because I wasn’t prepared properly and I currently have some level of this problematic misunderstanding with a next to everyone on some level — especially those that want to calm me down when I need to be stressed. So thanks for finding the right words.
What if the escalation with Iran is a belated xmas gift to John Bolton, in exchange for him keeping his mouth shut about Ukraine?
Sorry, I have to go shopping with my partner in about 20 minutes for glasses and will try to minimize the chaos in our flat later. Feel free to drop me an email if you like.
@BradMoonRising
I was thinking the exact same thing. Can’t be a coincidence that the guy just now decided to testify. He will probably lie and try to cover for Trump.
All I hope for is a regime change in Iran, but this is likely to be delayed or completely prevented with what the US has done.
More people will be stuck under a repressive regime because the US has given more of a reason for Iran to hate them, and the US has restricted immigration and travel of Iranians and Iranian Americans.
I do hope we get a new president that will not only foster genuine peace (unlikely because of the whole military-industrial complex, where governments and companies work to keep each other and no one else alive, with the specific case of making a profit of killing others in the US) but inspire a regime change too.
If Bolton really wanted to testify, he could go in front of the House Intelligence Committee tomorrow. What he’s doing now must be another stunt. He’s writing a book after all.
2020: “damn, we gonna go in there n kick ass n take names — Be over in a week!!”
2032:. “the FUCK are we still doing in Iran, why the FUCK did we let Obama get us into this?”
The airliner that crashed in Tehran was mostly Iranians and Canadians, presumably packed with students and young professionals returning from visiting family for the holidays.
@Weird
That’s assuming we even make it into 2032 and the globe doesn’t go up in flames like Australia before then.
Kinda feeling like Cheryl at the moment. Whole world’s going to hell, and all I can do I spin around in my office chair. It’s a hopeless feeling that just kinda makes all the little achievements I have just feel that much emptier.
I was really hoping that the year would mark an improvement over last. I’ve been getting back into my writing and drawing groove (getting my first smartphone has helped immensely with the former as I can write on the bus home). I’ve reached level 6 on Yousician, which is pretty good for only having 4 or 5 weeks of practice under my belt. I’m doing stuff that I find fun and challenging and exciting.
And yet…
I’m tired of feeling afraid of the future.
I have been this mixture of dull shock and fear since the assassination. I started to come out of it a bit yesterday, until I came home from going to see a movie with my mom like everything in the world was just normal and fine and then my husband told me that this had happened. Now I’m right back in that place.
I know these are really selfish, indulgent feelings. I don’t even live in Iran or its neighbouring countries or in the US. My feelings are just about the least important thing happening right now. This just isn’t the world I want, you know?
@Moggie
Just wanted to thank you for sharing that study. Extremely disturbing.
@Katamount
I’ve been trying to find a way to describe how I feel about all this for a while. “Tired of feeling afraid of the future” is perfect. I feel a little less alone in it now, thanks 🙂
@Katamount
You and me both. I’m hoping things improve soon, but that’s not looking likely.
@Viscaria
I have the same feeling, especially since last night.
@ Lyzzy – i’m not going to get into everything you’ve said, because you’ve said a LOT, but i will try to clarify why people might think you are a troll, based on your behaviour.
You are posting A LOT, and very quickly. This isn’t a super active forum, and people will (in this space) typically apologise if they’ve posted twice in a row. (“Sorry for the double post!”)
You posted typically three or four times in a row!!
Your comments are also difficult to parse. I believed you mentioned english was not your first language, so it would make sense that your language wouldn’t be as clear as a native speakers.
I would like to suggest that you write in a note app, on your phone or computer, so you can do some editing. Perhaps also try to condense your 3-4 posts to one. Edit out the repetitions. Your sentences will have more clarity overall because you reread and edited them.
Two things that you said –
Something about how people look to computers/technology as a magic fix all, and that’s not good (… i think? Admittedly, i have no idea what a “user problem” is, and “layer 8” just makes me think of photoshop files someone has given to you where they DON’T NAME ANYTHING, NAME YOUR LAYERSSSSSSSS, I don’t know what layer 8 does, is it importanttttt ahhhhhhhh)(but i digress)
I think you will find general agreement here that computers/tech will not solve all our problems, and for many reasons.
Lack of diversity present in tech, for one. New problems can easily be introduced when people don’t think how shitty people will use tech to hurt others, because they have never been on the receiving end of it. (Twitter/FB/etc)
People also put off doing what we presently can do to try to address problems currently, because the solutions are imperfect, and surely Tech Will Invent Something, right???????
But the problem with saying (as i read it, but it was unclear so perhaps this isn’t how it was meant) that computers and their ubiquitousness is, in itself, the issue is that you are not seeing how many ways computers are actually part of a solution.
As an example, read this thread for an example of a space that went ‘no devices’, and how that means that a whole swath of people can’t go there.
Apps that control insulin pumps, or hearing aid levels. Apps that help with magnifying the menu, so they can read it. Checking the menu for allergins. Using a phone to recenter, because someone is autistic and the situation is overwhelming, but can be coped with if they have this device. Etc etc etc etc.
They can really help people, and insisting on their ban can shoe some privilege.
Re: feminists shouldn’t have children???? Because they know better???? Climate change??
Ummmmmm…??????? No? This is DANGEROUSLY close to saying “feminists shouldn’t be stay at home moms (SAHM) because they can work now! Being a SAHM is regressive, and we should shame them!!!”
Advocating for women to be able to work if they want/need to MEANS you advocate for them to make the choice on if they are a SAHM (or parent, but mom for this discussion) if they so choose.
Because, if the kids are young and they would have to put them in daycare, it is often nearly their entire paycheque to do that, so why bother??? They’ll be shamed for not being a SAHM and putting their kids in daycare instead of being a Real Mom anyway so….???
I think you were saying this in regards to climate change, and how we already have enough humans, so why not just not reproduce to limit the species and… yeah?
Feminism has made it so women *aren’t* limited to automatically spawning more humans as their only purpose. Many women (and other AFAB folx) have chosen not to have kids, because they never wanted to, and now have the option not to!
But some people want children, and if kids could only happen where they are wanted, that would be really great.
Just think of all the people who now don’t have children, because they never wanted them, and had the choice to not have them.
I remember reading once that the cheapest way to combat climate change was making a condom, which would stop yet another human from being born, and adding to the carbon usage of our species.
Birth control and abortion help this. I believe that feminism was a huge reason that these things happened at all, so i’m not sure what your point is, here.
@Crip Dyke
Ahahaha, thanks, I needed that.
@Rhuu
Agree. Though I admit I’m somewhat guilty of this one myself.
This is my thought. I’ve known since I was very young that I wanted children, but I very much support the right of people to not have children if they don’t want them.
This. I know some people, mostly older people, that think smartphones are evil and should be banned and I’ve tried to point this out in response. Thank you for saying this.
@BradMoonRising:
I’m sure one of our German commenters will have a word for that.
Layers of the OSI network model:
1: physical
2: data link
3: network
4: transport
5: session
6: presentation
7: application
Some people jokingly add a layer 8, either “politics” or “user”.
Been a while since the OSI model was really relevant, though.
I saw a follow-up to the glorious Twitter burn, above.
“USWeatherExpert” doubled-down on the stupid and asked what “coursework” Doctors Gill & Marvel had done, whereupon Dr. Marvel pointed out that when you’re going for a PhD, you’re doing the research that becomes coursework for other people. It was glorious.
(Alas, I can’t screengrab because I’m posting at my work PC and, dear ghod, the firewalls between me and Twitter…)
No word yet on which burn unit is treating Mr-so-called-expert…
@Naglfar – you are welcome!
I’m guilty of not naming layers as well, but not if someone else needs to work in the file. Then i try to name everything, or at least group it with named groups so people can understand, haha.
@ Moggie – I will have to look up what an OSI network model is, but thank you for telling me what the joke is!!
Here’s a photoshop layers alignment chart, as a thank you!
(Source)
XD
Apparently, according to those who have checked his timeline, “USWeatherExpert” is a serial mansplainer. He has history.
Also, if you have “expert” right in your handle, chances are your knowledge is mediocre at best.
@moggie
My german isn’t perfect but I love how everything can be a word in German. My best version would be Zukunftsangstermüdigung, and half of that was already a word in my spell checker