JCattheATM

> The UK is consistently amongst the lowest household expenditure on food in the entire world.

How?

> Only 3 countries in the world are self sufficient in food.

Surely a small island nation is not one of them?

That's why Squarespace and Wix exist. You have 30 minutes.

I can't imagine OpenBSD would be bothered by laws specific to a very small selection of US states.

It's the start of a very slippery slope.

I liked Krita a little more than Pinta as a replacement, but for the same reasons it feels slow.

It's really a shame the Paint.net author is so devoted to being Windows only.

Let's not encourage even more Electron apps, please.

The problem is like all Apple stuff it's just needlessly limiting and has few advantages over alternatives.

> Android won't let me block hotspot at all (which they have turned on so their can use their school device after I turn the router off for the night). I can limit a game to only 5 minutes - but they have a dozen games like and that is an hour between them all (both not enough to really get into the game, and way too much time when they really do need a study break). I can block youtube, but if there is an educational video they need I have to unblock everything not just that one (or a limited selection). There are new play a game websites popping up daily, and when they to every kid in school is playing until we block it (or more likely the school blocks it as they are all playing in class on the school device) - but trying to block all but a whitelisted set of websites is no better since there are so many legitimate ones teachers really do need kids to see.

Personally, I think this is the wrong approach. Why block internet access at all? Why block gaming? Why try to helicopter parent to this extent? Block some harmful stuff if you can, but other than that focus on having the tasks be completed, now on how they do them.

It's because people find comfort in what they know, nothing more complicated than that.

Too late and too weak a response.

> An internet search will provide it to you readily.

I'm not interested in doing the work to support your point for you.

> Your point about Citizen Kane and Independence Day 2 is nonsensical, and presumes we all have the same goals when consuming entertainment. I'm not going to engage in that argument.

It's not nonsensical at all, makes no presumptions and makes the point perfectly. You don't want to engage because you are unable to do so, which is absolutely fine.

It's fine to stumble initially, like discovering fire, but design gets us lighters and ovens. Good design allows for some flexibility without leaving everything to chance like pure stumbling does.

The power of a constitution is in it being the highest law in the land, that legislation can't just override. It's only recently in the US that there is a blatantly corrupt kakistocracy who feels free to ignore it.

> many of those appointed to Life Peerages meet the goal of having significant life experience

This is a poor justification for what still amounts to an unelected ruling class.

> You and Kurt Vonnegut seem to disagree here. He made liberal use of em dashes and hated semicolons.

Got some samples you would care to share? I'm skeptical we disagree, honestly. One can have preferences for different writing styles, and write in a way that works with preferred punctuation rather than against it.

> The problem with your definition of "good writing" is that it's entirely subjective.

I disagree. Subjectivity is only true to a point. Someone might like Independence Day 2 more than Citizen Kane, but the latter is objectively a better film.

> gradually evolving them into a modern liberal democracy.

And yet, they are still not quite there.

There is something to be said for design over stumbling.

> The very best part about English writing standards is that there are so many to pick from!

This monumentally misses the point.

> it really is subjective

And this is just the disappointing and flatly incorrect view I hoped not to see. Sigh. Have a great day/night buddy.

> people are free to write and to speak however they wish.

Yes, that doesn't mean standards don't exist, nor that good and bad writing styles don't exist.

Don't be one of those 'everything is subjective' doofuses, please.

> managing ADHD-like (never diagnosed, and I don't care to assume)

What's the difference here between assuming and saying 'ADHD-like' instead?

Agree to disagree. It allows badly written stuff to be defended, I would argue more often than alternative more acceptable case scenarios.

> Semicolons start a new thought, they don't mark an aside that lets you return to the original line of thought.

Sure they do. They're perfect for a related tangent without abounding the greater scope topic being discussed.

> I would have used parentheses in both places, and semicolons don't work in either one:

Parentheses work no question and I would argue are far more appropriate in that example since it's a minor elaboration/clarification and not a tangent, indeed, semicolons would not be appropriate for that.

I had freewritten, generally free expression type documents in mind when I wrote my statement, e.g. blog articles or opinion pieces. The problem is 'a matter of taste' can be used to excuse/justify anything.

> Em dashes may also add or increase emphasis but are normally treated as an aside. Think of it as a comment by the author to inject themselves, sometimes in ways which do not form a complete sentence.

A semicolon is better for this purpose. Good writing doesn't have mad tangents anyway, there should be a flow and natural transition.

As a US citizen you benefit from the status quo and global peace being maintained.

> I just watched Enemy of the State (late 1990s sequel to The Conversation [1974])

Not officially, just as a fun fan theory.

> Also, this work is made with AI:

More like assisted with AI, in a way that seems perfectly reasonable.

It's nice to see someone with reasonable restraint...way too many people on here with disposable incomes think they need a new macbook each year.

That user has a history of being that rude.

> I don’t see why not. It entirely depends on why someone needs a VPN.

Nah, not really. Using a VPN is a luxury, a preference. You're arguing that using a VPN should be a right in a discussion about people not being forced to use specific Apple or Google services, which is an entirely different thing.

> but no one except Apple makes a laptop worth a damn.

That's pure nonsense. I'm a fan of the Asus ExpertBooks myself which seem to be largely ignored in these discussions. They weigh about 2 pounds, 15mm thick, they don't overheat, about 15 hours of battery, and pretty damn durable.