The hand has only four fingers

I think the other comments mean well, but are perhaps already too technical given that your current knowledge is “it’s mascot is a penguin and I think it has something to do with programming.”

Linux is an operating system (OS) on computers. OS’s are what allow you to actually use it. Most computers come with Windows, which gives you a taskbar, a start menu, and several programmes that you can use like Edge to browse the internet, Paint for basic image manipulation, etc. Of course, you can download more software from the internet to use on your OS.

Another well-known OS is Mac, the OS that apple computers and laptops use. As you may know, it looks and works somewhat differently from Windows, but it has the same basics with a taskbar (though it might have a different name, idk because I don’t use Mac), Safari to browse the internet, etc.

Linux is, like Mac and Windows, an OS. But there are some major differences. Mac and Windows are developed by a single entity, Apple and Microsoft respectively. This means you have very little difference between systems developed by them. Sure Windows 7 and 11 look very different, but actually using them is very similar. Also, (almost) everything that is included in the OS is developed by their respective companies. Linux, in contrast, is highly modular. The kernel (the OS’s bedrock) is developed by a single, open source project, but that does not give you a full OS. There are many different projects that combine other software to build a full desktop OS. These are called distributions, or “distro’s” for short. They can give you a familliar taskbar, desktop icons, and base software to navigate the internet and your files. But they may also take a wildly different approach! I’ll leave those for you to discover if Linux intrigues you ;)

Anyway, Linux is often associated with programming because it is much more cusomizable than Windows and Mac. Programmers often like tweaking things to their liking, which is why they are more likely to be interested in Linux. However, you don’t necessarily need to know how to code in order to use Linux (though, if you want to learn, Linux had a lot of good tools). My mother is in her 60’s and I’ve set up Linux for her on her laptop. We set it up to her liking, verified that the printer worked, and she’s been using it since with no issue.

To add some final remarks: Linux is not developed by a massive corporation. It is the biggest open-source project in the world! This means that anyone who wishes can see the code of the OS - so anyone can verify that they are not spying on you or stealing your data. It is also free to use for everyone (with some Enterprise exceptions).

In essence, Linux offers you a different way of using your computer, free of charge! If you would like to try technical things, it’s a great place to start. I would recommend trying out a dual-boot (meaning you have both Linux and Windows installed) to see if you like it. As for distribution recommendations: Linux Mint and Fedora (KDE edition) are highly recommended for beginners and professionals alike! ZorinOS is also often touted as a great introduction for people used to Windows.

Finally, should you even bother? Well, I don’t know what it’s like being 50, but personally I’m not convinced that an old dog cannot learn new tricks. Best of luck!

1/5 stars, this IKEA cheese kit came without the necessary screws!

Roll20. I play D&D twice a week, and the paid features (increased storage & dynamic lighting) are absolutely worth it. It’s not even super expensive; just $60/year. Totally worth it for how often I use it!

If you haven’t done so yet, the next time you start the game, stay in the start menu for a while

:)

Prague! Went there last September and had a great time. Beautiful and very walkable city, friendly people, and very affordable too. The city castle is an impressive site to behold, and one of the most touristy ones, but very doable if you go in the morning. But there are many other notable things to do and visit, such as the cold-war bunker under the Yalta hotel and the alchemy museum in the Jewish district. If you decide to visit, I would also recommend branching out for a couple of days to visit other cities like Pilsen (where pilsner beer comes from) or Liberec.

Thankfully it’s much cheaper whenever a sale is on these days :)

My two all-time favourite videogames, one of them kinda obscure and the other very obscure: What Remains of Edith Finch and Kentucky Route Zero respectively.

What Remains of Edith Finch is a ~2 hour story where you explore your family home as Edith Finch. The Finch family has had a lot of bad luck, and most of its members do not get old. As Edith, you explore the house room by room to see the respective person’s last moments. It’s not a horror game, though I should put a trigger warning for child and infant mortality for the game. Play it in a single sitting, treat it as an interactive movie. I cannot recommend it enough.

The other one, Kentucky Route Zero, is a bit harder to recommend to a general audience. The synopsis is as follows: Conway drives deliveries for an antiques shop, the last one he will ever do as the shop is closing down. On his way to his destination, he asks for directions, and is told he needs to take Kentucky highway 0, an underground highway with a hidden entrance. As the game goes on, we explore the mysterious underground world of Kentucky, with its strange inhabitants and culture, and expand our cast of characters along the way. I honestly cannot give a more accurate description of it without giving stuff away. This game has no puzzles or interesting game mechanics. You cannot alter the story much either. What it offers, though, is a glimpse into a surreal world filled with hope, longing, loss, regret, and, most of all, mystery. The game will not answer all your questions. There is no grand reveal before the curtain closes. You can puzzle things together from your exploration only.

I think that, for many people, it will be quite boring. But it pushes buttons for me that no other media I have encountered does. It is best played at night if you’re tired, as the whole game kind of feels like a weird dream that you struggle to recall as you wake up. If that sounds up your alley, well, here you go.

I went into the show blind and it was definitely outside of the typical stuff that I watch, but I enjoyed it a lot!

Like they said, child rapist enablers

qwertee.com has great t-sirt designs, but many can also be bought as stickers!

Seconding bazzite here. If you want to “get to know Linux” you might want to consider something else, but if you just want a well-running system with minimal use of the command line, Bazzite is an amazing option. I’ve been using it since August last year, and have only had to use the command line once in that time. Which isn’t a problem for me, but it may be a bit daunting for others (and that is totally fine!).

I’m sorry to hear you are in this situation. There’s some great suggestions here already that I am also saving for myself, and I though it high time to talk about our national dish; stamppot.

Stamppot is a dutch family of dishes that are very simple to make. In essence, it is boiled potatoes, mixed with vegetables and mashed. A little bit of butter/oil to make it smoother. Traditionally eaten with small pieces of bacon mashed through and sausage on the side, but you can also add spices like rosemary + thyme, nutmeg, turmeric + cumin, or even cheese to bring it to taste.

Typical vegetables/combos:

• kale
• carrots + onions (1-1 ratio)
• sauerkraut
• lambs lettuce + 1 hard-boiled egg
• spinach But many vegetables can be used. Some vegetables need to be cooked with the potatoes (the kale, carrots, and onions) and some added after boiling and removing the water (sauerkraut, labs lettuce, spinach). You can even combine vegetables if you wish. Honestly, the sky is the limit.

Butcher: “Excellent choice! Now, in case this is your first time using salted meat, I should stress that it must be desalted by leaving it in some water for a few hours, changing the water frequently. After that, it is perfect for roasting!”

Im Westen Nichts Neues (All Quiet on the Western Front).

There are some historical inaccuracies, sure, but it is an amazing movie showing the horrors of trench warfare and the careless nature of the commanding officers in the First World War. It leaves you with a sense of dread, something war movies should do more often imo.

This is correct. However, many websites/newspapers/magazines/etc. love to get more clicks with sensational headlines that are technically true, but can be easily interpreted as something much more sinister/exciting. This headline is a great example of it. While you interpreted it correctly, or claim to at least, there will be many people that initially interpret it the second way you described. Me among them, admittedly. And the people deciding on the headlines are very much aware of that. Therefore, the headline can absolutely be deemed misleading, for while it is absolutely a correct statement, there are less ambiguous ways to phrase it.

First name is very rare here in The Netherlands, but these days it is quite common to use the “casual” form of you (je/jij) rather than the polite form (u). That was very different some 70 years ago.

I mean, it wholeheartidly depends on what is on screen and the stimulant

Excel sheets and coffee? Yeah boring

RV There Yet and booze? Pretty fun

Nature documentary and magic shrooms? S-tier

I see a lot of hate for the HIMYM finale and… I truly do not get it. I will not praise it as a cinematic masterpiece, because it isn’t. But it is an ending that they have been building up since the very beginning, and it makes perfect sense given the characters and what they went through. There are a lot of show endings that cannot claim that at all, with random last-minute additional arcs or forgetting things from earlier seasons. I haven’t seen any of that in HIMYM. So yeah, I think it’s a decent ending overall, and I truly do not understand the hate it gets.

As for GoT; yeah that went into shitshow territory from season 7 for me personally.

It’s kinda mainstream, but I’ve enjoyed Modern Family quite a bit. Sure, there is some friction, but it all works out in the end, so perhaps that fits what you’re looking for.