Thus proving the almost total arbitrariness of defining Europe as a “continent” but here we are.

Is it like a shopping trolley where you get the coin back at the end?

Yes.

Is it like a shopping trolley where you get the coin back at the end?

You turn the key and out comes the key! Like coin-operated lockers in train stations. Better not lose the key!

Agreed about the hangers. It’s always a mess, they only really suit skinny racing bikes. And everyone else needs to babysit their bike if only to stop it rolling away.

This time with the lock I actually went and sat in a normal seat elsewhere for once! I’m sold.

Why do all cars since about 1920 have “fat” tires? It’s the same reason.

Never understood why the arian particle can’t just be dropped. Same deal for the horribly unwieldy (but genuinely useful) authoritarianism, whose French equivalent is the more elegant autoritarisme.

English is an ugly messy language. There, I said it.

I’ve been using it for a few years

undergoing a significant rewrite for the 0.4 release

I plan to try it when it’s ready. Some time next century at this rate.

The election is in a few months. That will be the moment of danger for Orbán.

So you’re saying that (you think the data says) most people here are not blanket-downvoting anything that gives them marginally bad vibes, and that the damage is being done by a busy few? Interesting if true. I too basically never downvote, on the principle that it’s toxic and hostile and just not something that has a polite equivalent in person. I had assumed I was a massive outlier.

All decent advice. Here’s a thought experiment.

Start a discussion, debate, or ponder about [etc]

By the same token it would be bad to stop such a discussion, right? Right.

Make new communities if you don’t see one that fits

Therefore it would be bad to *destroy" such communities, right? Indeed.

Upvote the things you like

So, it would be bad to downvote the things you - personally, subjectively - don’t like - right? It wouldn’t? Why so?

Don’t downvote other people’s good-faith opinions. It’s petty, it’s juvenile, it’s toxic. Even if you don’t see it that way. It’s precisely what will discourage the participation we all want to see.

Personally I’m inclined to think the best response is indeed silence, but it’s a valid point nonetheless. The US president is a bully, and bullies often back down when they get pushback. And some of these latest accusations really are the most outrageous hypocrisy coming from a political movement that literally tries to steal elections.

Well put. It’s a difficult one, though. The alternative route, of national (i.e. European) champions, can be a slippery slope into protectionism and shoddy standards. By the 1970s British cars were rubbish but the Brits still produced and bought them patriotically. Argentina has spent a century trying to protect its substandard industry and it’s now a poor country.

But I do agree that there’s a balance to be struck. On principle I use Firefox and not Chrome even if it’s 2% slower (which it’s not BTW). We should not be rushing to buy foreign products when the technology gap is still bridgeable.

Can confirm that in late November it was not just feasible but really very pleasant! Murcia is one of the sunniest places in Europe. And, as you say, incredibly hot in summer.

The five microstates (Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Vatican) are wreaking havoc in south-central Europe.

What a mess! I love defending other people’s heterodox opinions so I was rubbing my hands at the sight of yours. But… This is such a bunch of unfalsifiable generalities and tautologies that I hardly know where to start.

To be fair, English is obviously not your native language, and you do an okay job of expressing yourself nonetheless. 6/10 for that, let’s say.

The swappable-battery model is so much better in theory. It incentivizes better standardization of battery formats and connectors, it makes upgrades and recycling easier.

Of course, by that logic it would be even better to make the whole scooter swappable, i.e. leased or just outright shared. But I guess humans just need to have their own toys sometimes.

Great story. I believe this is also an example of the difference between “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” worth. If one is content to value things for what they are to oneself, rather that what they may be to others, life becomes very much simpler.

Personally what irritates me more is people whining about imperfect journalism which they haven’t paid a cent for. I mean, if someone handed me, say, an apple, and I eat it, I don’t then tell them “Yeah, a bit tangy I’ve had better, maybe get another supplier”. This magazine owes us nothing at all for its product.

As for the “clicks” trope, people need to know that display ads (when they don’t get blocked) earn these publications millicents on the dollar, they pay for basically nothing. What they really want (need) is subscriptions. And I’m guessing that none of us here has one of those.

In this vein I inadvertently discovered the best theft protection for my saddle: just wait for it to get a bit of wear and tear (specifically: tear). Now I no longer worry about finding it gone.

I’m seriously considering inflicting a bit of cosmetic damage to front wheel. At that point I can ditch the cable lock.

To be fair, nobody’s stealing that first bike

Definitely the Achilles heel of the concept. Also: luggage weight restrictions (but if that’s an incentive to go by train, I’m calling it a win).

Hilarious!

Wait. This is actually a genuinely good idea.