The standard answer is “security”…and that may be true in some cases.

But a lot of it is just job justification. Some beleaguered coder somewhere has to do a thing because their manager has to do a thing because their director has to do a thing and so on. Box checking exercises.

Fastmail is pretty great, and it lets you create masked email addresses for throwaway purposes if you need one.

I speculate in many cases, suicide bombers are supplied with their equipment by a sponsoring organization, and don’t build it themselves. Obviously, some of them (like the lone wolf types) do make their own. Someone who is knowledgeable with explosives might be too valuable to sacrifice in the attack. Whereas almost anyone can deploy the weapon, it doesn’t take much skill.

Noted!

Thanks for the guidance, I was checking out those gift boxes!

Book banners bringing attention to books that scare them is galaxy brain in action.

Thank you for posting this! There is a local spices place I really like, but they have stopped producing almost everything. They’re down to a couple of blends.

Is there a go-to herb, spice, or blend from Penzeys you’d recommend for holiday gifts?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_Earth_(genre)

Not 100% sure, but these come to mind.

• Science Fantasy
• Dying Earth
• Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy

I hope it gets better for you.

A few more tips came to mind.

Flonase works better for me, but some people respond better to Nasonex.

Also, sometimes switching to Allegra instead of Claritin often helps me when the Claritin isn’t working. It costs more, so I always switch back.

I have allergies and they suck.

Most of the year, a daily dose of OTC Claritin takes care of it for me. But sometimes in the spring or fall, the pollen counts get too high and the Claritin isn’t enough. Doesn’t help that I’m allergic to multiple types of pollen. What helps me a lot is to start taking OTC Flonase. It makes a huge difference. The thing with allergies is, the medications work better if you get out in front of the allergic reactions. You can catch up after they start, but it takes longer.

One tip that helps some folks is to take a shower before you go to bed. This can reduce allergens building up on your pillowcase. Obviously, launder your linens regularly.

Also, vacuum the house (wearing a mask) and replace your HVAC filters frequently. Consider getting better filters that are good for allergies (but note they are expensive).

Don’t forget the cabin filter in your car.

Finally, the absolute best allergy therapy that I personally know of is immunotherapy AKA allergy injections. This regimen is a major PITA, but it works really well for some folks. It basically trains your immune system to stop freaking out and tolerate the allergens. I did it as a kid and it completely eliminated my allergies until adulthood when I developed new ones. I have considered doing it again, but I’m making do with the OTC regimen for now.

I hope this was at least a little helpful. You have my sympathy. Allergies are no joke, they can be miserable.

I’m never leaving the house again. I mean, I kind of wanted to do that anyway, but this is the excuse I needed.

I feel like Walz’s answer re: The ACA is his best response so far.

“Guns don’t kill people, weak windows kill people…or…something.”

Yup. He’s very slick and relaxed up there. Completely full of horrible ideas and deception, but he’s unfortunately doing better on the optics and sound bitey-ness.

Me: Opens wallet. Moth flies out.

Similar observations here. I certainly haven’t seen everything, but what I have seen matches your description. I appreciate OP creating much-needed content.

I tried Zenni. What they sent me was not good. I’m not saying they are bad overall, this is only anecdotal evidence, but it was way off from what I needed.

At reddit, line must go up. So user experience must go down.

You’re right. Here in 2024 your version is more likely than mine.