AcademicalNerd @academicalnerd@qoto.org

Anyway, how have you been this week, my occasional audience? I promise a more elaborate story in a few days once I get enough sleep to recover and enough alcohol to forget the tomorrow's "intro to philosophy" test. This much may take a while to consume but then again, I am patient.

Ugh. So... Yeah. Fuck me, that wasnt an easy week.

...what do you mean its only Wednesday?

I have to clarify: it is not more difficult because of the information density (there was more material in some years), but because a) I have to write a thesis and b) teachers mostly have shitty time management and final tests for all subjects overlap on the last two weeks. I already had a day with two credits (one-on-one talk with a professor) and a test.

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.

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.

Well, we entered the new era. Now I routinely use PGP on sensitive data and messages. Viva la cryptography, I guess...

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.

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.

Oh well. Guess I'm staying after all, at least for now. Gonna try to make the most out of the situation.

Rats run from the sinking ship, it a well-known proverb. I think it is misinterpreted: rats are not cowardly, they are quite intelligent mammals. It is the smart ones who have the hindsight and flee to save themselves and their families.

Twitter is gone as well. Fortunately, there is still mastodon.

I'll elaborate: it is not blocked from the outside. It is blocked by the government from the inside.

Facebook is blocked. Gg wp.