AcademicalNerd @academicalnerd@qoto.org
People are more important than wires.
Joined Jan 2021
Oof, that's gonna be a long answer...
So I'm majoring in materials science, and this is the final semester. There are philosophy, composite materials mechanics (lectures+lab), condensed phases physics and something (lectures+lectures_2+lab, mostly deals with semiconductor physics), radiochemistry, physical chemistry of materials (lectures that mostly deal with metallurgy and ceramics phase transitions). Oh and metal-organic complexes chemistry, but this one is finished.
Oh well, the last semester is exponentially more difficult than all the others were. But I'm managing, more or less.
Sooo my eyes are fine. Another checkup is due in 10 days and after that I'm clear.
I'll make it clear that I decided to do this surgery now, even somewhat urgently, for two reasons.
1) Price. It has gone up 30% within the last month and I wouldn't like to pay even more if there is a way to avoid it.
2) Spare parts. I have an idea about the way these lasers work, and they don't last without new parts and maintenance. Which will be more difficult as the time goes on and logistics/sanctions make things more complicated.
So I finally obtained clarity. Made laser correction, that is.
Going from -5.25 on both eyes to 100% clear picture is great. 10/10, would recommend. The process is painless, yet unpleasant. What baffles me is that it's cheaper to buy clear vision that an iPhone. Hail capitalism.
I'll describe the process. First, diagnostics are run to determine the cornea thickness. Then, in a wekk (one shouldn't wear contact lenses over this week) the surgery begins. The nurse disinfects eyes and provides you with a nice hat, coat and a mask. You lie down on a table, a sterile cloth is put over your face.
A laser cuts cornea, surgeon puts it aside and another laser burns parts of the eye (the lens, I suppose) to change the focal strength. The cornea is then put back and the process is repeated on the other eye. Unpleasant sensations come mostly from fixators that keep eyelids in place, as well as the vacuum fixator for the eyeball. There is also an intense smell of burned fried eggs that comes from the eye when the laser is on.
If anyone has questions I'll be happy to answer to the best of my abilities, but keep in mind that I'm not a medical professional.
Well, yeah, but this idea is becoming even less realistic over time.
Any choice is a burden, especially if it is an illusion of choice. Or maybe I'm looking for a silver lining in a situation that is otherwise... well, unpleasant.
There is no "safe and stable 9/5 work" anymore, not for my generation. That's even more true for this country. Not that I ever aspired to settle down for a quiet life of an office worker, but the opportunity was there. Now it's not, and it is somehow liberating.
So trying to fight off a cold "on foot" with paracetamol while studying is not a good idea, at least my immune system can't pull that off. For the past few days I've been suffering the consequences and still feel weaker than usual. But hey, I'm alive, that's something. Everithing, actually.
At the time of writing this, my colleague is late for a zoom call she has already postponed. Rude and annoying.
Thanks, both work! I tried invidious a few times but it doesn't work for some reason. I guess I'll use Piped from now on.
I am aware of nitter but don't use twitter so it doesn't really matter. It looks like I'm gonna mostly transition to soundcloud+odysee+mastodon along with a few telegram channels.
This video is unavailable in your country, the owner does not allow streaming from your location. I mean, I can use vpn and stuff but it's insettling.
That's awesome! Made my day.
Well, we entered the new era. Now I routinely use PGP on sensitive data and messages. Viva la cryptography, I guess...
I meant the internet, but yeah, the cardiostimulator wire is sure important...
People are more important than wires. People often forget this, especially the IT enthusiasts.
I caught a nasty cold a few days ago. Feels bad and I can barely function, but the diploma deadline is nigh. Time to bite the bullet..
Why isn't I2P adopted as a communication platform? It looks quite interesting from the security perspective.
There are a few reasons. Firstly, you'd still need energy. Renewables are slower and more expensive than gas and oil. And they take time to install, and during this time people still need electricity and heat. And insta-heaters look like a scam to me, judging by their website.
Well well well. I'm back from a little retreat, took a break from everything except food, swimming in pools and alcohol. Not too much, just enough to compliment the main course. Now it's time to see what one person can do amongst the mess we happen to find ourselves in.
Ethics require a person to be infinitely merciless to themselves and infinitely merciful to other people. The physiology requires the opposite.
Too much work wearc out mind and body, too much self control causes psychological damage. And weak self-control causes harm to others, while lack of work causes material and reputational losses.
The only thing that's left is to balance the damage dealt to you and the people around you to the best of your abilities and pray you have enough resilience to go through this.
