Big hospitals still have them to send medications and random lightweight stuff around the complex. My wife has worked in two large hospitals that had pretty extensive tube systems, used especially with pharmacy.

In the suburbs of a middle-sized city in Ohio, USA. So midwest, but a bit older, higher-density, and more northeastern suburban layout than, say, Iowa. Built up in the 1960s-70s. Almost all single-family suburban homes on large lots.

(these are walking distances, not straight lines)

• To the nearest convenience store: 1.6 km
• To the nearest chain supermarket: 4.2 km
• To the bus stop: 1.5 km
• To the nearest park: 226 meters
• To the nearest big supermarket: 2.1 km
• To the nearest library: 2.6 km
• To the nearest train station: Hahaha! (Ok, it’s actually 78 km, but it’s mostly worthless as a train station)

Straight-line distance to Big Ben: 6297 km

Texas gets kinda hot in the summer.

I’ve used it off and on in KUbuntu for a couple of years without issue, installing the helper app from the .deb file directed to me by the plugin. I have scanned it for viruses and watched for strange behavior, and I haven’t observed anything suspicious. It runs as the current user, no elevated privileges required.

Watch for battery life when buying older Surface devices. Replacing batteries in the older Surface Pros is notoriously difficult, because apparently the whole assembly is glued together. Loss of battery life is what forced an early retirement of my 5th-gen (2015) Surface Pro, even though not was otherwise completely serviceable. Newer versions are apparently more repairable, but you’ll have to investigate where that cut-off line of repairability is.

Mach-E GT’s are a steal right now

I mean, I think it started as a BSD fork with a Linux kernel jammed in so… you’re not far off.

I’m pretty sure Jurassic Park (the movie) coming out was when it became common knowledge to the general public. A few hardcore dinosaur nerds (and readers of the Jurassic Park novel) were generally aware beforehand, but it was the movie that pushed it into common knowledge. (Source: I was 14 when Jurassic Park (the movie) came out)

I could see how in Europe, where every little compact hatchback has a tow rating, this could be very frustrating. In the US, where mostly college kids drive compact cars, every household has at least two vehicles, and mom regularly hauls the kids around in their “family” 2 ton SUV (that has no hitch), somebody you know probably has a truck. Our tow vehicle standards (either official or customary) seem to be more stringent. That seems to leave leaked into the European-spec Mach-E. Would be nice to have a tow hitch, even if it was just for mounting a bicycle carrier.

The Mach-E is an extremely competent family hauler that mom and dad can enjoy driving. (It is a chubby Fusion with a lift gate.) How many people tow with their family SUVs? A very small minority. The car itself is excellent as-is, no need to pretend it’s a towing vehicle.

That’s about where I am. If I’m doing really light duty stuff (web browsing, no video) I can get maybe an hour. Any more than that, the clock is ticking pretty fast.

I’ve done several repairs and battery replacements on various tablets, but as an amateur, I won’t touch this one. I’m sure if you crack these things regularly you can get proficient at it, but given the complexity, I’m not sure it’s worth the labor.

One caution on older Surface Pros: They are generally not serviceable, and when the batteries eventually go, you will have to replace the device. The 9th gen and later may be better. I am dealing with this right now in a 2017/5th gen Surface Pro. While it’s nice hardware (as a user), apparently the battery is glued-in in such a way that you cannot replace it without destroying the tablet. I’m currently looking to replace it with either a Lenovo ThinkPad X12 detachable or a Dell Latitude 7320 detachable, both of which are similar but (purportedly) much more repairable.

(Brace yourself for Much 'Merica) Several gas utilities I’ve had in the USA measure natural gas CCF, which is 100 cubic feet (at some standard temperature/pressure), which happens to be almost exactly the same as a Therm, or 100,000 BTU.

Dude, you live in Italy, the food is amazing! That said, after a two week trip to Italy, my wife is a much better cook of Italian food now. …In America.

The state of Florida. They don’t need my tourist dollars right now. When they can figure out state government again, I’ll consider spending my money there. They have no shortage of tourists, but I know it’s not my money propping up that insanity.

We have a while before we have to worry about those kids actually getting to college. What needs to happen now is the colleges proclaiming this. Make a big stink about it. Talk about remedial education requirements for Florida graduates. Across lots of states. Embarrass the hell out of the state. Set requirements that Florida public school graduates have to take an entire years worth of remedial education in college. Suddenly mom and dad looking at that bill will start to flip out.

Look at what happened to North Carolina when they tried to pass their bathroom bill, way before all the current crop of anti-trans laws. Stuff got cancelled. Events pulled out. Businesses proclaimed their objections, made public grumblings about risking expansion in the state. There was actual damage and cost, and North Carolina nixed the whole thing. Look at what’s happening in the culture wars now. Nothing. It’s become noise. Next week Wisconsin will declare an open hunting season on Muslims or something, and everybody will yawn. They’ve successfully numbed us to this shit, and until large entities start pushing back, until there are real tangible costs to the states pulling this shit, it will keep happening.

Universities in other states need to loudly proclaim they will not accept Florida high school graduates fed this horseshit. “Does not meet prerequisites for higher education.” You want to be Confederate Jesusland? Fine, but there’s a cost. Employers need to do the same thing.