bluGill

That depends on how well it works but assuming it isn't too much less effective I'm in

I'm saying you could have afforded it. That you didn't want to accept that lower quality of life is a valid counter though. (it may have required you to move to the poor side of town which is often dangerous). Your observations about how it affects future career is also spot on. You could have done it though.

There are a number of people who want to raise a child but for reasons cannot have their own. I know several people with genetic issues that they do not want to pass on for example. There are also couples who despite trying just cannot have a kid (their doctors know more but that is private so it wasn't shared with me).
There are a number of kids who do not have family who can take them in. There are neglectful parents who are not taking care of their kids (drugs are often a factor). There are cases where mom and dad died (car accident?) leaving a kid with no family to care for them (no aunts/uncles and grandparents who realize they are too old). The above is a small minority, but will several hundred million people in the US, and 8 billion in the world it happens all the time. The only question is how to get the two together.

Everyone wants more. while there are limits to how much more we are not even close. Besides it is governments going to war and those leaders have a lot more ability to control more than normal people.

One income is enough if you want to like that way. In the one income 1950s you had one phone for the house, a radio (maybe a black and white tv with a tiny screen), one car (mom didn't have a drikers license anyway)... it is easy to put on rose colored glasses but they had a worse standard of living.

Realistically that was the only time one worker was somewhat normal but only because we rarely count 'womens work'. For that matter the effort women hut in to maintain their 1950's house was significant - though if you were a women it was probably your best time to live from work standpoints (but there were still a lot of socity issuse that made your life worse). last while a significant number of women were 'housewives' it was still comon to have jobs- just less common than any other point in history.

was single income really better? That is a complex debate that I only scratched the surface of. You can get phd's looking into this.

Any lawyers here? I believe it is illegal to accept/read private emails if you get a hold of them, but I'm not sure what the law is.

Rates are not high. 20 years ago they were higher yet - and people are cheering the historically low rates. However if you don't remember 20 years ago it is easy to think they are high now when in fact they are probably closer to normal.

Are you looking to get into it because you want a good keyboard that feels good; or do you want to get into it because you like the idea of weird layouts, building your own keyboard, trying different switches, weird color schemes, custom key shapes, or all the other interesting but not typing things you can do. Nothing wrong with that second group, even though you can probably tell from my tone that I don't see the point myself (if this is you I can't give good advice so stop reading).

Thanks, I was aware of the model F project but didn't realize they had anything other than very large layout options. I have 4 original model M's, (two are broken), but my desk is too small with my work and personal computers. (I tried a keyboard switch, but I gave up using it after typing to the wrong computer one too many times)

They use your standard Chinese cherry clone switches. Better than the rubber dome keyboards everyone gets by default, but nothing like a genuine model M. (the other reply linked to a model F which is likely better than the M but I wasn't aware of that option until now so I'll have to try it)

I wish I could get one in a 60% layout. My desk is too small for my big ones.

Older systems have been known to use the radiators as the expansion tank. this would not meet modern code but plenty of old systems exist.