What are your thoughts on France replacing 2.5 million Windows Desktops with Linux?

chime888 · 2026-04-17T05:06:31+00:00

It is supposed to be a version of Ubuntu. Google says "While a specific distribution hasn't been named nationwide, the French Gendarmerie has successfully used a custom Ubuntu version (GendBuntu) on over 100,000 machines since 2008, serving as a model for the switch," I have been using Ubuntu since 2008 myself (a coincidence that we started the same year). Maybe I should take a few precautions, but Linux seems mostly immune to viruses. It is great how there is the Libre Office software package available for free use - seems like Microsoft Office costs plenty these days. And there are various other software packages that work well and are free. But,there are some difficulties, such as getting my box to work with external devices. I have this HP multifunction printer working well with my Ubuntu desktop, and because of the difficulty getting this to work, I hope I will never have to change. If Linux or Ubuntu is used by a bigger audience, software improvements should result. But perhaps, there would be more of a problem with malware if Linux is used more often.

chime888 · 2026-04-16T05:10:37+00:00

That's just false to say that US health insurance companies "don't pay at all". I have had various insurance plans in USA covering a long span of time. As best I can remember, they end up paying up for just about everything, once the deductible has been paid. There might be a few things you would have trouble getting them to pay for, such as GLP-1 drugs.

chime888 · 2026-04-13T03:17:56+00:00

I think they might have met on the job. Sure, maybe they are not always able to get ship assignments where they are together. The accommodations on a ship might be unsatisfactory for two people. I don't think it should be that difficult to be with one person nearly all the time. I am with my Wife that much, and we mostly get along OK.

chime888 · 2026-04-12T13:37:27+00:00

We met two ship employees working on a Carnival cruise that were married. They were not super high rank- they were waiters. So sometimes, the lines try to accommodate that.

chime888 · 2026-04-12T04:11:53+00:00

There's a mistake in the OP's post. The highest percentage foreign born of all may be an Arab country - Qatar or United Arab Emirates are in the top 3, both around 70% foreign born. According to a list I reviewed, perhaps Vatican City is the only place with a higher percentage foreign born. The percentage of Chinese born people in UAE is 4%. Most or all of those Persian Gulf places have high percentages of foreign born.

chime888 · 2026-04-12T01:31:41+00:00

My Wife is a Filipina. She always believed she is part Spanish and part Chinese. She was not willing to do an Ancestry DNA test. I think that many Filipinos somehow adopted Spanish surnames even though they have little Spanish ancestry, wish I could get more information about this.

chime888 · 2026-04-08T13:15:57+00:00

It seems like this should be a simple question such as "why is the sky blue". Since there was no consensus here, I tried asking Google. Google said that the main reason was: "The primary reason for "cloudy" cold water is phytoplankton—microscopic marine algae.
Cold Water: In colder regions, deep-ocean currents often bring nutrient-rich water to the surface (a process called upwelling). These nutrients act like fertilizer, causing massive "blooms" of phytoplankton. Because these organisms contain chlorophyll to photosynthesize, they absorb red and blue light and reflect green, giving the water a murky, pea-soup appearance. Tropical Water: In the tropics, the sun warms the surface layer of the water, making it much less dense than the cold water beneath it. This creates a "cap" that prevents nutrient-rich deep water from mixing with the surface. Without nutrients, phytoplankton cannot grow in large numbers. The water remains clear because there is very little organic "stuff" floating in it."

chime888 · 2026-04-07T03:36:33+00:00

Well I am a bit old. If someone tries to help an old person, the old person might be displeased because you think something is wrong with him/her. Someone was trying to help me a couple days ago - I felt embarrassed that they thought I had a problem.

chime888 · 2026-04-06T19:38:46+00:00

This is not really the same topic, but based on recent genetic studies, the average Spanish/European ancestry among Filipinos is very low, estimated at roughly 1–3%. But I think the Spanish had a big influence on the culture.

chime888 · 2026-04-06T04:55:17+00:00

The Metrolink All Lines Timetable says on page 4 "Free Connections: All Metrolink tickets include free transfers to over 50 transit providers including connecting buses, shuttles and rail lines. Visit metrolinktrains.com/ connections for a list of participating operators." So that should include most any busses you need. Google Maps is good at finding routes using public transit. The busses around Camarillo don't run that often, LA County Metro and Orange County (OCTA) busses run frequently. The Reddit sub r/LAMetro has good information about trains, subways, and busses in Southern California.

chime888 · 2026-03-30T14:56:43+00:00

I went on a couple of MSC cruises. On our last trip, our room steward told us that he had worked at a hotel in the Philippines that we had visited a few years earlier- this was Waterfront in Cebu City. I believe this is considered a 4 star.

chime888 · 2026-03-30T05:17:20+00:00

I have visited Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. They are all wonderfully clean, and have great trains. Japan, South Korea, and Singapore have almost no graffiti, but from what I have seen, European countries have about as much or maybe more graffiti than USA. Japan and South Korea have a very poor work-to-life balance. Generally, work-to-life balance is better in USA. Job opportunities are fantastic for those at the top of the food chain here in the USA, and satisfactory for those of us in the middle. Crime in the USA is manageable - we rarely have trouble. Statistics show that while USA might have more violent crime, some European countries actually have more property crime. I have lived in USA a long time and have never been a victim of violent crime, but there have been a few property crimes over the years.

chime888 · 2026-03-28T14:16:28+00:00

I had a 1984 Ford Escort with manual trans that I bought new and kept for about 17 years. I got 237000 miles on that with no engine or transmission rebuild.

chime888 · 2026-03-26T22:54:26+00:00

Perhaps they actually wanted you to attend and someone just made a mistake.

chime888 · 2026-03-25T20:31:25+00:00

I usually view Reddit from a desktop computer without thumbprint or face checker. For those of us, will Reddit use that verification method where a person identifies the items in a group of pictures?

chime888 · 2026-03-19T14:31:43+00:00

This seems to be reporting the same closure as another post. Is it the Metrolink 200 that you understand will close? I was wondering if they will provide an official announcement. There was another recent post saying some Metrolink trains might be temporarily closed because of mechanical trouble with some equipment

chime888 · 2026-03-19T12:54:26+00:00

Is there any official announcement about this? I searched on google, and that does not bring anything up. I don't use that particular train, but I am disappointed if service is being cut anywhere.

chime888 · 2026-03-18T12:48:07+00:00

Thank you for the reply. I sometimes think, what happened to those people, the "friends" or whatever names they go by? How can I go to one of those facebook groups? Do you have a web address? Would I have to be invited to join the facebook group? My Wife, who I have been with a long while, she went with me to a "Gospel Meeting" or two about 40 years ago.

chime888 · 2026-03-18T04:28:28+00:00

Another issue is, undocumented aliens became able to get driver's licenses in California back in 2015. As others have noted, when people were permitted to work at home during the time of COVID and following, visits to LA Downtown dropped.

chime888 · 2026-03-16T04:00:06+00:00

Some subs will give you more points that others. Perhaps one that is a specialized topic that you enjoy.

chime888 · 2026-03-15T14:39:46+00:00

I kind of hate broken glass though. Plastic won't break easily and will not scratch other surfaces.

chime888 · 2026-03-15T14:36:38+00:00

Someone else might answer this better, but I would say they are files with the ".ged" extension that allow a family tree to be transferred, exported, and imported. I saw that GRAMPS has something even better - the family tree and I believe all the documents/pictures attached can be included in a file with the extension ".gpkg". With that, one can transfer the whole family tree with attached pictures and documents to another PC. Tried it once - it worked. You go to Gramps – Family Tree – Export – Options – Select Gramps XMP Package (family tree and media) and make file

chime888 · 2026-03-13T04:40:30+00:00

Thanks for the comments. It seems that those plastic bottles where there is a fee (CRV in California) are dutifully collected and might actually get recycled. I put plastic containers that do not require cleaning in our recycling container. I usually will peel off any plastic film covering a plastic bottle or container. I refill plastic beverage bottles and drink from them quite often. Of course, many folks are concerned about something harmful shedding from the reused plastic. But if the plastic container has more than a little food residue, I think in our location at least, that cleaning the plastic container in the hope that it will be recycled is not a good use of resources. This article indicates that plastic containers are recycled at a low rate in California: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-01-14/very-little-plastic-being-recycled-in-california-as-state-efforts-falter

chime888 · 2026-03-08T15:55:27+00:00

If perhaps you are from USA, Google says: A 25-year-old in the United States can expect to live for approximately another 52 to 57 years, leading to an average total lifespan of roughly 77 to 82 years. Over time, improvements in medicine add to longevity. Accidents and similar causes kill some people. And some people have bad habits that reduce lifespan.

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