I work in IT supporting about 300 scientists with Win+Linux+Mac, about 33% each, but with Win11 we decided to change policy: deny requests for Windows unless really necessary and give that user a Linux PC for a month. After a month, if they *still* want Windows, okay.

Yes, absolutely right. But the homeschooled US kids I saw had their entire 'social mixup' done in church or at the gun range...

True. When buying a PC if there was an OS option choice [Windows] [Linux] [None] I'm sure Linux would be on par with Windows. Why there hasn't been an anti-trust settlement to enforce this 25 years ago is beyond me.
Disclaimer: 25 years ago, doing technical support to my family (about 10PCs), I got pissed at them for having to clean viruses over and over week after week, so I gave them an ultimatum: I install Linux and provide full support, or you get a Mac and are on your own, or I categorically refuse to approach Windows anymore. 75% took the Linux options, 25 the Mac. And it's been about 10min a week (total) of support via ssh since then. My 60yo parents didn't even notice the change (I put them up with KDE with a Windows look).

It really shouldn't be a political stance. Psychologists (and common sense) show that children *need* contact with other children. Otherwise they grow up into little cultists of various ilks. I grew up where homeschooling is next to non-existent and when I moved to the US I saw how close minded it turned many adults into.

Not nearly as irritating as having dozens of random dot subdirectories in the root of your home directory.

The first issue costs a few developers a few days of their time to fix. The second is a problem that nags millions of users for eternity.

Because at this rate, by my math, the number of AI cores Google requires will exceed the number of atoms in the visible universe within about 120 years.

This. Homeschooling should be illegal. Except in rare cases of severe handicap. Or as an option for *additional* credits if not available in the public school where the kid is going. But as you say it's used for control and to keep kids from meeting different viewpoints. Do you think there would be so many young nazi and evangelists if everyone was going to public school ?!?

And BTW I also strongly think that private schools should not exist. Finland closed them all and they are now... #1 in education worldwide. If the rich have to send their kids with the plebe, they make sure it's at least well funded.

What I typically do is leave in the no-name AAA alkaline batteries that the remote came with, and it works for a couple of years until I move on to newer gear.

Then after I've left it idle for 15 years, I'll come back and open the remote to discover that the batteries have leaked all over the inside and destroyed it.

As a Norwegian, I'm shocked every time I go further south in Europe. The smell of gas and diesel in every city ...

After most folks have switched to electric cars here - I'm acutely aware of the difference when going abroad.

> Pick a random European nation and tell me the longest drive a citizen would have to make to get to their nation's capital city.

Norway.

Driving from Hammerfest to Oslo will take you 23 hours if you drive via Finland and Sweden.

If you keep within Norway, approximately 32 hours.

If it was a reasonable balance of risk and payback, then they could get a private loan like everybody else.

Why should he stop exactly explaining the situation?

Lenders take on the risk of a default, and when the government lends money, the risk is socialized.

The loan is being made to a private, for-profit corporation, who will be able to keep any profits generated by this scheme (however unlikely that may be).

Whatever activity the loan is for is irrelevant, whether it's for cranking up a crusty old nuclear power plant, or for bailing out a Wall Street firm during a market panic.

That's a trick question.

Answer: None. In 2025, Everything's Computer.

Thing is, coal is expensive. Solar is cheap. If the US goes all in on coal, oil, gas, etc. - she'll lose.

China has built out massive amount of solar and wind, and hunkering down on batteries. That means they get massive amounts of essentially free electricity.

If the US hunkers down on labour intensive, expensive, polluting stuff - then all the worse for her.

Omitting the camera saves the consumer the minor cost of having to use up a square inch of electrical tape.