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Non twitter version https://www.threads.net/@kamalahq/post/DBEREtSIyi9

Hi everyone.

I’m on my work computer on the perennially terrible Lebanese internet, in a relatively safe town. I’m talking about some stupid client KPIs in a meeting with a bunch of people around the world. An “important” meeting. The clients assume I’m in Dubai or somewhere like that, and I don’t correct them.

I’ll get asked “How are things in Lebanon?” by some coworker in Dubai or Europe after the call and I’ll say the classic “Alhamdulillah, my family and I are okay.” And we’re safe, we haven’t been bombed, not personally. I am lucky to work with decent people, but how could they understand. Will HR give me shit if they learn how much time I’ve spent out and about helping move essentials to shelters in the “dangerous outside world” instead of just burying myself at home “until it’s over”? Maybe I can get fired for putting myself in danger. Or maybe they give me leeway as a relatively senior person with the best English in my team who they get to pay less than everyone else because I don’t have a French passport - what a steal! (They pay me okay, and quite well compared to others around me, but we all know what this arrangement really is)

But corporate work, in normal times, rots the soul from the inside out. This is worse. I have to stare at the bad screen for hours while the EMTs dig people from under their homes. I have a duty to at least try to help my people, but I can’t. If I quit my job, my family loses this home and this security, and we have no place to go now that our original town is being bombed. I don’t come from money. I can’t just move or buy a house abroad or even a plane ticket (Lebanese people with no other nationality can’t go many places without a long visa process). I can’t “just move to Europe bro”, I can’t “just move to Dubai bro”. I have responsibilities. I’d love to move, but I can’t. Maybe I should.

Naturally, even nice coworkers cannot comprehend this. Besides, they need my input on the KPIs. This client is very important and number must go up after all. I hear another thud in the distance, through the crickets, I feel it in the pit of my stomach. Not close enough to threaten my life, but close enough to understand I might be next and that no area is truly safe.

___

This isn’t a woe is me post and I don’t want people in the comments feeling too sorry for my situation yeah. I still have my family, four limbs and two eyes, my home, a source of income in actual usable currency. Save your real sorrow for the people who have lost more both here and in the occupied territories. It could have been me in Gaza, it could have been you.

___

Please donate to the Lebanese Red Cross if you have the ability. Our people in the orange jumpsuits are our pride and they need everything they can get, especially now that they’re being hit as well. Relatively transparent and reputable org with boots on the ground and a functional donation platform, please consider helping.

Happy Birthday to us 🎂🎉! KDE is 28 years old today!

Join us and hold a KDE birthday party in your city. Fill in the wiki, meet up with your friends and celebrate 28 years of collaboration, free software and altruism!

https://community.kde.org/28th\_birthday

@[email protected]

\#birthday #anniversary #FreeSoftware #OpenSource

Israeli soldiers and Palestinian former detainees say troops have regularly forced captured Gazans to carry out life-threatening tasks, including inside Hamas tunnels.

An investigation by The New York Times found that Israeli soldiers and intelligence agents, throughout the war in Gaza, have regularly forced captured Palestinians . . . to conduct life-threatening reconnaissance missions to avoid putting Israeli soldiers at risk on the battlefield.

While the extent and scale of such operations are unknown, the practice, illegal under both Israeli and international law, has been used by at least 11 squads in five cities in Gaza, often with the involvement of officers from Israeli intelligence agencies.

Palestinian detainees have been coerced to explore places in Gaza where the Israeli military believes that Hamas militants have prepared an ambush or a booby trap. The practice has gradually become more widespread since the start of the war last October.

Detainees have been forced to scout and film inside tunnel networks where soldiers believed fighters were still hiding. They have entered buildings rigged with mines to find hidden explosives. They have been told to pick up or move objects like generators and water tanks that Israeli soldiers feared concealed tunnel entrances or booby traps.

MBFC Archive

Today’s game is Alan Wake. I got back to it and finished Episode 5. Tomorrow the power will be out and I’m hoping to clean through Episode 6 entirely and start the DLCs (possible thanks to my Steam Deck).

Episode 5 ramps up the difficulty a lot I feel like, but not to an unfair level. I think the only part I struggled with to an unfair degree was a jump while being chased by the tornado in the screenshot. The power plant is also really fun to play through because you can push enemies into powerlines to kill them.

I also found another red chair out of bounds in the start of Episode 6. The player could never see it in normal play through I think. I’m wondering if maybe it’s a twin peaks reference or a developer in joke.

!

The embassy of the People's Republic of China (PRC), led by the Communist Party, has submitted a note to the Riigikogu, the parliament of Estonia, criticizing the participation of several MPs in an event celebrating Taiwan's national holiday. The PRC considers Taiwan, historically known as the Republic of China, to be a breakaway province.

[...]

The Chinese Embassy underscored that, in their view, members of the Riigikogu, "the participation of the aforementioned members of the Riigikogu [...] violates the One China principle [...] It concludes with the hope that members of the Riigikogu will refrain from similar actions in the future to avoid damaging relations between the two countries.

Social media posts show that former Prime Minister Andrus Ansip also attended the reception hosted by Taiwan.

Riigikogu Foreign Affairs Committee chair Marko Mihkelson (Reform) commented on Wednesday about his participation in the event, stating that in the face of growing existential threats, democracies must stand together.

"Therefore, it is only natural that Estonia and Taiwan strengthen their good relations in areas where we can be mutually beneficial and contribute to international security. These were my messages last night at the reception in Tallinn, where Taiwan's national holiday was celebrated," Mihkelson wrote on social media, [also noting] that compared to last year, the number of Taiwan's supporters in Estonia has visibly grown, which, in his opinion, further confirms the importance of maintaining unity among societies that share common values, regardless of distance.

[...]

On Wednesday, Mihkelson also met with the People's Republic of China's ambassador, Guo Xiaomei, and noted that much of the discussion focused on the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine.

"Relations between Estonia and China have been volatile in recent years. This has been largely influenced by the Covid pandemic and the resulting restrictions, but even more so by Russia's full-scale war in Europe, where China has supported Russia economically and politically. Understandably, this has heightened tensions in East Asia, particularly around Taiwan," Mihkelson wrote.

"During today's meeting with China's ambassador Guo Xiaomei, we discussed, at her request, the situation around Taiwan and the planned visit of the Foreign Affairs Committee delegation to the region. It is in Estonia's interest to maintain the status quo and reduce tensions. Any military solution would lead to a global catastrophe, which likely isn't in China's interest either," the Foreign Affairs Committee chair added.

[...]

"We also discussed what Chinese President Xi Jinping meant when he stated during his visit to Moscow last year that, together with Russia, China would bring about changes in the world not seen in 100 years. We both acknowledged that in the current international dynamics, it is crucial to listen to each other and do everything possible to prevent regional tensions from escalating into a global conflict," he remarked.

because who cares about a good corporate image

So I've heard and seen the newest launch, and I thought for a private firm it seemed cool they were able to do it on their own, but I'm scratching my head that people are gushing about this as some hail mary.

I get the engineering required is staggering when it comes to these rocket tests, but NASA and other big space agencies have already done rocket tests and exploring bits of the moon which still astounds me to this day.

Is it because it's not a multi billion government institution? When I tell colleagues about NASA doing stuff like this yeaaaars ago they're like "Yea yea but this is different it's crazy bro"

Can anyone help me understand? Any SpaceX or Tesla fans here?

"FEMA also been accused by former president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and other Republicans of not being able to respond well enough to Helene because it had diverted disaster relief funds to help migrants.

That is not true, because while FEMA administers the Shelter and Services Program, funding for it comes from a separate pot of money funded by Congress for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Other false claims that have circulated include that people taking federal relief money could see their land seized or that that $750 is the most they will ever get to rebuild. FEMA has pushed back against the false claims and conspiracy theories, setting up a page on its website to combat misinformation and rumors."

It's totally fine if you believe that life starts at conception. The thing that actually baffles me are the states that passed anti-abortion laws, but struggle to provide adequate health care, especially for those who are not financially stable.

I found this article this article "States with more abortion restrictions have higher maternal and infant mortality", but feel free to correct or educate me on the topic.

Mit Donald Trump könnten bald ultrareaktionäre Silicon-Valley-Kapitalisten wie Elon Musk und Peter Thiel ins Weiße Haus einziehen. Sie wollen nichts weniger als die Demokratie abschaffen und als CEO-Könige regieren. Trump-Vize JD Vance haben sie schon überzeugt.

[...]

In den heutigen Regierungen sieht Yarvin eine veraltete Software, die dringend ein Update braucht. Er bezeichnet sich selbst als "Extremist", nennt die Sklaverei eine "natürliche menschliche Beziehung" und empfindet die Feudalherrschaft des 14. Jahrhunderts als "Verbesserung" gegenüber der Demokratie. Es ist leicht, seine gruselige, Matrix-artige Digital-Diktatur als Science Fiction oder obskure Kopfgeburt eines durchgeknallten Spinners abzutun. Und jahrelang war sie genau das auch. Doch nun hält sie womöglich Einzug ins Weiße Haus.

Denn mit Donald Trump schickt sich eine Gruppe ultrareaktionärer Kapitalisten aus dem Silicon Valley an, die US-Präsidentschaft zu erobern. Trumps neue Silicon-Valley-Buddys wie Paypal-Gründer Peter Thiel sind nicht nur superreich, sondern Freunde, Geldgeber und Anhänger von Yarvin. Wie der Tesla-Chef und wichtigste Trump-Unterstützer Elon Musk hoffen sie darauf, einst als CEO-Könige zu regieren. Und wie JD Vance, der womöglich nächste US-Vizepräsident, feiern sie Yarvin und reden seinen Ideen offen das Wort.

[...]

Der reichste Mann des Planeten hat sich längst vom visionären Tech-Pionier zum wichtigsten reaktionären Unterstützer von Donald Trump gemausert. Inzwischen finanziert er nicht nur dessen Wahlkampf, rollt ihm bei seinen 200 Millionen Followern den medialen roten Teppich aus und hüpft und umarmt Trump bei seinen Wahlkampfauftritten.

Sollte Trump gewählt werden, dürften Musk, Thiel und Yarvin also einen heißen Draht ins Weiße Haus haben. Vielleicht geht es dann schneller als gedacht in Richtung von Yarvins Utopie der totalen Tech-Diktatur. Die Mogule kokettieren offen mit ihren royalen Ambitionen. Elon Musk nennt sich schon seit 2021 ganz offiziell nicht mehr Chief Technology Officer. Sondern "Technokönig von Tesla".

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/3750687

> For years, posts related to events during World War Two have proliferated on the Chinese internet, with the Japanese invasion during the war remaining a sensitive topic for nationalists on both sides. In China, Japan’s wartime atrocities have long been a sore point as Beijing maintains that Tokyo has never fully apologised. > > The online posts are part of a wider phenomenon, which encompasses both xenophobia and attacks on Chinese nationals for being unpatriotic. One argument by analysts is that this digital nationalism has gone mostly unchecked by the Chinese government, with online patriotism fanning flames of anti-foreigner sentiment as well as accusations against Chinese figures. > > Some are asking if this has gone too far. [...]They see echoes of the violent, state-sponsored campaign against so-called enemies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that traumatised the country in the 1960 and 1970s. Hundreds of thousands died in purges often led by youth militias known as the Red Guards. Families and neighbours turned on each other. > > In a recent essay, author and university professor Zhang Sheng noted that “in the past people summoned the Red Guards, now people summon the ‘little pinks’” – a popular nickname for the virtual army of online nationalists. > > [...] > > It is not just foreigners facing the ire of cyber-nationalists. In recent months, Chinese public figures and companies have also been castigated for being insufficiently patriotic. > > Beverage giant Nongfu Spring is considered a Chinese business success story, with its mineral water bottles a ubiquitous sight across the country’s convenience stores and restaurant tables. But in March, nationalists accused the company of using Japanese elements in its product design. One of its logos was said to resemble a Shinto temple, while the iconic mineral water bottle’s red cap was deemed to be a reference to the Japanese flag. > > It resulted in a brief but intense online campaign: some called for a boycott, while videos of people angrily stamping on Nongfu Spring bottles and chucking their drinks down the toilet were all over social media. > > Similarly, the author and Nobel Literature Prize laureate Mo Yan was accused of “beautifying” Japanese soldiers and being unpatriotic in his works by a nationalist blogger, who controversially sued the writer for insulting China. > > [...] > > Even state media has accused online nationalists of “making patriotism a business”. One commentary by CCP mouthpiece People’s Daily said those who “stir up public opinion and add fuel to the flames in order to… gain traffic and make personal gains, should be severely punished”. > > But the ruling party has had a hand in stoking the fire, some say.