I already mourned Scott Adams when he fell for the dark side (or better: when I noticed it). That is, when I felt a loss. I was mostly a consultant in the early 90s. In that role I could tell a lot about a company and its problems just by looking which Dilbert comics were hanging in the offices or cubicles. I knew what to expect, so those comics really helped me in my job. Those comics in the offices have mostly disappeared over the last decade as well.

### On the stability of authoritarian regimesIf you read about the current situation in Iran, you will quickly encounter wildly different assessments: > "The End of The Mullahs’ Regime in Iran Is Near" or > "Son of ousted shah says he’s ‘prepared to return to Iran’ at first opportunity" or > "Here’s Why the Iranian Regime Seems Invincible" These are just a few of todays headlines on the same topic. *The only thing this conveys with any certainty is that we don’t know shit.* There is no KPI showing when a regime is about to fall. If there were, the CIA would be perfect in predicting revolutions. But usually they are taken by surprise like everyone else. This thread is an attempt to explain why... 1/6

I sincerely hope, that if the people of Iran manage to take down the current Iranian dictatorship, they won't install a new one. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/09/middleeast/analysis-does-iran-want-shah-son-pahlavi-latam-intl The time of kings and emperors is in the past. At least it belongs there ... #iran #shah

My remarks concerning the murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis yesterday: **This was politically intended. The Trump administration did not order that shooting specifically but has setup the conditions in a way that it would occur at some point.** This has been done with two intentions:<li>It shall demonstrate that the ICE is “legally immune” whatever they do.</li><li>It shall discourage people from protesting against or even just observe ICE activities.</li> This is straight from the playbook of the SA in Germany 1933.

**Influencers and OnlyFans Models Dominate US 'Extraordinary' Artist Visas**

Influencers and OnlyFans Models Dominate US

The O-1B visa, a work permit reserved for individuals deemed to possess &#34;extraordinary ability&#34; in the arts, has become the pathway of choi...

I am working in the IT for nearly 40 years now and most tutorials sound like that for me as well:

annie

How I, a non-developer, read the tutorial you, a developer, wrote for me, a beginner - annie's blog

“Hello! I am a developer. Here is my relevant experience: I code in Hoobijag and sometimes jabbernocks and of course ABCDE++++ (but never ABCDE+/...

I just had a discussion with a friend, that the last years each felt exhausting like a complete decade. Then I remembered this quote: > “His age was indeterminate. But in cynicism and general world weariness, which is a sort of carbon dating of the personality, he was about seven thousand years old.” > ― Terry Pratchett And we both felt as Terry has been looking at us when he wrote it. #terrypratchett

I want to use the last day of the year to thank the community here on Mastodon. Every day, I learn things here that are worth learning. The discussions are, by Internet standards, very polite and focused on the issues. But most importantly, I see people here having a voice that they do not have in traditional media or in algorithm-driven social media. That makes Mastodon extremely valuable, and we should all strive to preserve that. The year 2025 has been a tough one, and I have little optimism that 2026 will be easier. We will likely see a further rise in authoritarianism, fascism, and racism. To stem the tide, we must work together. My wish for the coming year is that we continue to see others fighting the same fight as allies, even if they have different priorities for where they invest their energy. But please take care of yourselves. Do not feel guilty about time spent on self-maintenance. Keep this in mind: **You can only help others if you are first in a position to do so.** Best wishes from Kiel, Martin P.S. Special thanks to @Jerry 🦙💝🦙 for maintaining this instance. I really feel "at home" here. #endofyear #thanks