RE@One rule for one.
*SIGH* - Oh Anonymous Coward, I feel sorry for you. You're obviously a very angry and confused individual... I'll pick up on just a few of your misconceptions..
"Checking for updates and installing them, regardless of how painless it is is not the same as supporting the version you are running" - So using this logic Windows is in your bad books too? O/S Vendors should support a version by not updating it? Weird.
"Many things I do require the underlying OS to be the same - a solid base to build everything else on, sometimes for years on end." - You really hate updates eh? Once again naughty Windows too with those filthy service packs. I guess you could.. I don't know.. NOT INSTALL THEM!!! Just stop clicking yes to updates.
"My clients would not be happy if something that used to work suddenly stops because the updated kernel screws something in their code up because it acts unexpectedly." - Oh dear lord why would you update the Kernel in the first place then? Just don't do it..
My suggestion to you my confused little friend would be to pick the latest LTS release and to turn off the updates.. or just click no when the nasty machine asks you if you want to update.
There is a difference between providing support and issuing updates to an O/S.
Paris because she like totally gets computers more than you do, even if she has difficulty saying no.