Had a quick search: “Grow Alocasia ‘Polly’ in bright light out of direct sunlight, in free draining peat-free compost. A minimum temperature of 16ºC is perfect, ideally in a humid location, such as a bathroom. If the room isn’t humid enough, you can increase humidity levels by standing the pot on a tray filled with pebbles and then add water until it rises to just below the bottom of the pot.”

If relevant, try addressing humidity and ensure it stays out of direct sunlight. It could be waiting until conditions are favourable.

I spent two months or so travelling around the north and south islands and barely saw any sheep! Far more cows strangely. I didn’t feel like I had missed anything and wasn’t actively looking gor them, but it was surprising!

It amazes me that no-one ever seems to say (not that I have seen, at least)…Isreal is a western, democratic state with nuclear weapons in the middle east.

It’s basically a major power base for the west in the predominantly arab part of the world.

Anything else is a side arguement as far as I’m concerned.

I certainly agree that a fact simply is, noting your lack of belief, however communication is only possible through description so I suspect some somantics here. My point was that within an arguement, opinions can be extrapolated from known facts to suggest unkown/unproven facts, if only so to the individuals involved. Essentially this is that basis of any argument - to exchange ideas/possibilities etc to reach the ultimate goal of determining what is a fact.

Though, as you say, many discussions and arguments, especially in a casual scenario, are taken as exercises in ‘winning’ rather than with the aforementioned aim. I agree this is frustrating and understand your stance.

Re respect. If you respect a person (your approach being much the same as my own), does that not preculde that you respect what they say?, at least in most instances, even if they are mistaken or incorrect? Though I think there may be two points here, one re emotional beliefs & one re fact-based beliefs. The latter being more what I’ve been refering to. Emotional beliefs are much closer to pure opinion than facts.

I don’t think in terms of respect about something like this as this leans towards some kind of snobbery or predudice. Either I agree or don’t. Regardless of any perceived level of knowledge or intelligence behind an argument, I’ll respond as a point of advancing shared knowledge rather than trying to ‘win’.

Unfortunately there are many subjects where all the facts aren’t known, therefore opinions must be discussed to advance the understanding and ultimately help to establish future facts. Also, one person’s believed facts may be a misunderstanding, for example, hence why discussions and arguments may happen.

As such, there is (nearly) always a point to it!

I see your threes and raise you fourteens! Snapped this just yesterday:)

Its so that people with lower cognitive ability know where to look!

Alas, I’ll never be able to afford Airwolf!

She did knock off her arch enemy using voodoo, marry a russian hitman and be the first woman on Mars, pretty badass that!

It’s pronounced bouqueeet!

It’s definitely tough when you get criticised just for chilling out. My advice is to try and not be offended by those comments unless they come from people close or important to you. Ask yourself: why does their opinion matter/what value does it actually have? Is it jyst a throwaway comment from a e.g. stranger or friend of a friend of a friend. You do not need other’s opinions to validate yourself, so long as you’re not causing harm to anyone else, keep doing what you’re doing because it’s good for you and leave the busibodies to their ignorant opinion and to waste only their time and effort on it, not yours.

Ps you share my broad approach of treating others well if they treat me well. Thumbs up for that!

I think the problem with your comment was that you summed it up by saying ‘it’s simple’ when it’s a time of our lives when we start to have some freedom to explore our desires (sexual or otherwise) without the control/pressures of home and/or school life. There’s also ongoing peer pressures pushing and pulling us about. It is nothing like a simple time in our lives (hence why so many people go online and talk about if, as you highlighted).

Yes, I’d agree with the sentiment to keep treating others well and to be patient (broadly what my approach to life has been, now 45 so older like you), but it certainly isn’t easy or simple to do especially when there’s a lot of seeing others having what you don’t.

It’s one more than ten, so yeah, it’s better.

Luke Duke? I know he has a cousin called Bo but don’t know his father. It can’t be Boss Hog, surely?!

Makes me think of the house from A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami.

Try starting at https://www.ipcc.ch/. Essentially the centre point for all climate change data aggregated in one place using data from 1000s of scientists around the world many working independently. In case you can’t trust something with government association? Then think: why would all the world’s governments lie about the ‘end of the world’? (so to speak) Especially whilst they’re also being lobbied by big oil etc. - it just wouldn’t happen. If you can’t trust ‘pop news’ sources anymore (the most probable source of disinformation) then you’re just going to have to go deep into the science!

Also remember that scientific knowledge is ever evolving and what was understood last week may now have been superceded by more recent studies. This could be a part of the source of your lack of ability to trust the data.