Curious_Canid

There is an excellent book titled “How the Irish Became White” by Noel Ignatiev. It’s based on his doctoral dissertation and it provides a detailed historical look at just how arbitrary the concept of race really is.

No, but it does simplify life if you believe that.

Religion is a lot more fun when you just ignore all of its teachings and use it to justify your own prejudices and psychoses. Christianity has nothing to do with what they believe, if they believe anything at all.

It’s a good thing the Republicans aren’t actually trying to govern. They would never have time for this kind of ridiculous ideological theater if they had jobs.

If you had told the Continental Congress that their successors would eventually be investigating half-time shows they would have surrendered to King George.

Whether or not this particular person should know better, migrating to Linux is unlikely to be a seamless transition for most people in the real world. I think the article emphasized the problem and understated the benefits. Let’s just not pretend there aren’t compromises to be made, even if they are reasonable ones.

I have to use a Windows machine for work. I use both Windows and Linux for personal use. And I still miss OS/2. :-)

For me, the Free series was a significant innovation, but it all depends on what aspect matter to you.

I love all these responses, but that one deserves a special shout-out for brilliance. I’m still laughing.

That has frustrated me too. The Style PS was my idea of a perfect keychain tool, but they killed it in favor of the older, and less capable, Micra.

I did specify that I was talking about plier-based tools in my original response.

I grew up with Swiss Army knives, back before Leatherman was in business. (Yes, I am that old.) I still carry a Rambler with me everywhere I go.

The character was intended to be a thoughtful conservative, and I thought they did pretty well with that. I’m somewhere to the left of Bernie Sanders, but I don’t mind watching intelligently written characters who I disagree with.

Also, I will watch almost anything with Jeff Daniels. He is one of the most versatile actors of our time and he brings depth to every role. His performance is what made “Pleasantville” for me. (I hate Dumb and Dumber, but he added something to it.)

Gerber has made some very good multitools. They have also introduced some significant design improvements over the years. Among other things, they were the first to build one (Legend) where the tools opened outward instead of inward, which seemed like an obvious improvement to me.

My only complaint is that Gerber’s quality has been inconsistent. During some periods they’ve put out cheaply made tools. During others they’ve produced tools that were the equal of anything else on the market.

Yes, I have both a SwissTool and a Spirit. They are excellent tools. I’ve carried them both at, at one time or another, but I keep going back to Leatherman after a while. I don’t think they are better or worse, it’s just a matter of what particular uses you have.

No offense taken. They are an odd instrument that no one would know about if they weren’t forced on every elementary school music student. I seem to have missed that somehow, probably by changing schools at just the right point.

I like the sound, but I particularly like the sound of the lower-voiced recorders. I am mostly playing tenor and bass, which have lovely rich tones. My wife and a friend are both humoring me, so they’re playing soprano and alto with me. I’m not any good at it yet, but I am having a good time learning.

Nearly all of us are currently experiencing the worst possible compromise of that premise.

Who does the Post still have any subscribers? I dropped my subscription when Bezos wouldn’t let them endorse Harris for president.

One of the best quotes from “The Newsroom”: “I only seem liberal because I believe that hurricanes are caused by high barometric pressure and not gay marriage.”

Jamesy is making the world a better place. Good for him!

That is one of the more profound statements I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you!

Leatherman plier-based multitools. They invented the category and they continue to be the top choice. You can get cheaper tools that are adequate, but Leatherman always has some of the best designs, reliably high quality, and outstanding support. I’m constantly trying new tools from all over, but I always end up carrying one Leatherman or another.

Yamaha is amazing. I recently got into playing recorders and their base-level $8 plastic recorder is honestly a great instrument.