I got a Pantum laser printer and it’s free of all the rent-a-printer crap that the big ones are pulling now. It was easy to set up with my Linux system too.

The only purpose to life is to live it. Beyond that, you have to find the meaning that suits you for yourself.

I don’t struggle with it. When the end finally comes it will bring peace the likes of which I’ve never experienced. Life’s been hard and as I age, my body is breaking down in little annoying ways that add up into a larger annoyance. The only thing I fear about the end is dying in pain.

Oh, please. If they were really alien they wouldn’t have any DNA in common with us at all. And until samples of the “aliens” are provided to multiple scientists and labs across the globe for peer review, this is just horseshit wishful thinking.

Thank you. The other one had an emergency vet visit yesterday and I’m waiting nervously for her usual wake up time to see if she’s still alive.

One of my birds died a few months back and I cried in terror for the other one (who is still sick on and off). Up until then I thought all my tears had been burned out by a 15 year family court struggle with my abusive ex.

One of the top reasons I finally went Linux and I don’t regret making the change one bit.

I just watched a TV series on Netflix about this exact scenario playing out in Poland. The rural folks weren’t having it but got steamrolled by the government anyway. High Water

There’s also this that ties in:

https://www.warframe.com/news/transcription-of-unauthorized-broadcast-attributed-to-try-again-slick

Contact your county health & human services agency. Medicaid might be able to help, I don’t think Medicare will.

No, it’s not safe at all. You should be disposing of that battery immediately.

https://www.takomabattery.com/is-a-swollen-battery-dangerous-the-complete-guide-to-dealing-with-a-swollen-battery/

Tail end of 58.

I got my first Linux system two years ago when I was 57. I took one of the COVID checks and bought a Linux laptop from System76. I had the choice of PopOS or Ubuntu so I just took straight Ubuntu. It was set up and running when I unboxed it and everything I need to know how to do I can just do a web search for. And that’s really not much. Best of all the thing starts up in seconds, when Windows was always taking its damn sweet time and shutting itself down for two and three hour updates when I needed to use it. As for gaming, that’s what my PS5 is for.

Buying a pre-built, pre-installed Linux system was perfect for me. It might be what would work for you too. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of where to start.

People know the difference between fantasy and reality. Unless someone’s questionable anyway I don’t think pretending to be evil will change someone. People play violent video games and don’t tend to go out and shoot up their neighborhoods. Same thing.

Good for you for listening, and good luck.

I’m speaking as a woman who’s been hit on at work. We’re paid to be nice to the customers and too many customers take it as some sort of come-on. It’s uncomfortable to be put in that position and you should be thinking of her comfort at her place of business above your own desires if you’re really into her.

I personally don’t think this is a thing. Acting is pretending. I used to LARP an evil character but it was all just role-playing. Being able to use one’s imagination and walk in another’s shoes (evil or not) doesn’t change who you are as a person. It just makes you a good actor.

It’s not appropriate to ask a woman out when she’s working. Service staff get hit on all day and they’re just trying to work.

You can slip her your number if she shows up at your place of business and leave the ball in her court though. If she doesn’t contact you then there’s your answer.

If you liked the Expanse you might be interested in Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars series, and for the same reasons.

As for your original question, for me the important part is good writing and story telling. Some writers’ styles just turn me off no matter how good or important the work is. Narrative style is what makes or breaks a book for me no matter the genre.

I don’t have an issue with the ciphers, but I can see how they’d be a problem for someone and I’m really sorry that there isn’t an alternative way for you to solve them. My issues when gaming have to do with my hands getting arthritic but I was able to get a custom controller that helps with that. I don’t think it would be useful for your issue. That really sucks. Gaming has a long way to go to be fully accessible to everyone.