I salute the student's morality and character. I recently had the displeasure of having a chapter published in an academic book. The entire process was badly orchestrated on proprietary software, about which i whined incessantly. Thankfully my contribution was all undertaken on foss. I took the opportunity to introduce and explain foss and the ethical merits, but don't expect any enlightenment. Education sector/industry is rotten to the core. Typically they justify their immorality with "we must teach and prepare the students on the software they will use in industry." Feckless clowns.

Chicken? Certainly foul.

Don't bring a Health and Safety officer to a gun fight.

Not an accountant, but i guess the funeral ceremony for the previous head of state - no political involvement - cost about the same. Thus swapping one non-political head of state for another cost in the region of 150mil. That seems rather a lot for someone to carry out a purely ceremonial role. Am i missing anything?

I really want to love Inkscape and use it as my default svg tool. But as a very occasional user, am perplexed by the icon menu system. Is there a way to change the UI to display long name toolbars and replace all the icons? I've tried and failed a number of times. Thanks in advance for any help.

Thank you. I increasingly appreciate what you and the other mods do.

I'm stuck in this dilemma. I've lived abroad for seventeen years. Strangely, it makes me much more aware that I am English, also British, but undeniably English. It also makes me incredibly grateful to be English - it's about the least worst country on the planet. I could bang on about doing 'stuff' for the UK overseas (intergovernmental and trade stuff), and that how my foreign wife's career would take a huge hit if we moved back to the UK (she's a senior medical doctor, but would be made to start from the lowliest grade should we return). But that's contextual and circumstantial. I've been painfully deliberating the principles for years, and fully appreciate the 'not here, no vote' sentiment. But, I am English and under the governance of the UK gov. I look to the year 1647, the Putney Debates, during the civil wars. The debates considered the rights of people (men) under governance. Colonel Thomas Rainsborough stated, "I think it clear, that every Man that is to live under a Government ought first by his own Consent to put himself under that Government." I am under the UK government, so doesn't that give me the right to vote? I want to vote now because I hate the tories. How much? A lot. I think a dedicated overseas MP is a great idea. We are global now, and it could feed useful information back into parliamentary debate. I'd appreciate any comments, constructive or abusive, they all contribute. Thanks.

For me, Handel: Mozart is reputed to have said of him, "Handel understands affect better than any of us. When he chooses, he strikes like a thunder bolt."[159] To Beethoven he was "the master of us all... the greatest composer that ever lived. I would uncover my head and kneel before his tomb."[159]

It's Meth, Meth Police

Thank you! May yours be peaceful, prosperous and as long as you fancy

Same for me. I don't sweat the small stuff anymore, and fairly much everything is small stuff now.

This. A cautious, managed Faustian pact. Sadly necessary.