I’ve completely switched to eBay for most purchases. Yes they are also a giant company, but more focused on used goods and small sellers.

It’s often cheaper than Amazon too, and most major brands have their own official store page. Certified refurbished items come with a 1 or 2 year warranty. I always buy used if it’s available, and from the smallest seller, so it recirculates products and helps everyday people who are trying to declutter.

Selling fees have gone up over the years (about 13%, but still much lower than Amazon). And eBay does a lot more advertising for new products now, so I’m not so hopeful long-term. If there was a smaller company offering the same benefits I would switch, but so far nothing comes close (in the US at least).

In addition to Newpipe, there is Freetube for desktop: https://freetubeapp.io/

Never posted on reddit, most communities seemed hostile and unwilling to hear different perspectives. People here seem a lot more reasonable.

I’m managing a Google ad campaign for a non profit with a budget of a few hundred dollars a month. I came up with some keywords but have been using their automated stuff too. If you could suggest one thing I can do to improve what would it be?

That’s what I pictured when I read it

New home construction materials are the lowest possible quality that will meet specs. The allure of a new coat of paint and modern design masks the cheap quality and low durability. Some doors are basically slightly stronger cardboard. My theory as to why American homes have gotten so huge is that for the same budget you can get a much larger volume of materials than in the past.

If I had to pee really bad I would eat bread or crackers because it would absorb the pee and not make me have to go.

Any idea around what model year this started to take off? I drive a 2000 so I’m not worried now, but thinking of upgrading to something slightly newer.

There are EV conversion kits available, so it is possible to turn an old car electric. They won’t have the storage capacity of a natively electric car, but it is an option.

Citing a Wikipedia article that categorizes things as green or not green is not a reputable source. Anyone could edit the page right now and invalidate your claim. I’m not convinced you are right or wrong but I’d like a stronger argument.

I have an SDR and experimented a little with it. What do you do with it or suggest for a beginner?

Are you active in ham too? I’m interesting in long distance comma but haven’t got the license required yet.

If you feel like you vote consistent with your principles that’s respectable. Since we can’t do anything about the shitshow that is the federal government, other than voting I try not to stress out or think about it otherwise. It’s a waste of the energy that we can direct to our local communities, which we can do something to improve.

The libertarian party aligns closer to my values, but if the Green party candidate was the only other option I would pick them without hesitation. Regardless of what any politician says, they are self serving and will change their stance when it benefits them. If the green candidate sounded like an idiot with bad policies it wouldn’t give her less credibility from the other idiots who wouldn’t follow through on their policies anyway. So at least supporting third party candidates changes it from impossible for them to win to incredibly incredibly unlikely, but possible to influence others to open their mind to the idea of something other than the official media narrative.

Somewhat unrelated: what are your issues with libertarian policy? Their general sentiment is consistent with many of the issues you listed. Regarding the green party, I am strongly pro conservation and against rampant consumerism and corporate greed, but I’m not confident that the government will solve the problems without making things worse and wasting tons of money in the process.

You make good points, and it is a perverse line of thinking. However I do think that homes and land are the only real investments we can make. Not in a sense of trying to make a profit on it, but as something to put our money into.

I think it’s because it gives people a feeling of being in control of something.

I’ll give baking soda and vinegar a try. How often do you do that?

But from where I’m sitting, it’s all hopeless. I don’t want to feel this way.

I feel this way too. But if we as individuals recognize that the system is going to screw us no matter who is elected, then if we vote it might as well be out of principle. Have you ever shared a fact or opinion or taught someone something, and later noticed that it changed their behavior in some small way? Someone on the internet might see Perot’s (or more relevant, Gary Johnson’s since it happened only a few years ago) vote count on Wikipedia and it could lead them down a rabbit hole that ultimately gets them motivated to take initiative in the local community. So yeah, I feel you, at the federal level it’s hopeless. I think the real change will happen within families, friends, and local communities.

Now, without looking him up, tell me one issue George Wallace ran on in 1968.

I’ll guess ending the Vietnam war…

As far as pollutants go you may be right. I haven’t considered that, just the fact that my head always felt greasy before I stopped shampooing. And you can use a soap without chemical additives every few weeks without triggering your body to go ham on oil production.

Yes this does happen at first. If you can stick it out for a few weeks your body will adjust. For me it took about a month. Also no shampoo doesn’t mean not washing or scrubbing your hair. I use a comb to exfoliate the scalp skin.

We all have different body dimensions so there’s definitely not a single solution that works for everyone. My optimal setup is some of those interlocking foam exercise mats, with a thin mattress on top of it. One important thing is to flip the mattress and let it air out once a week or so. Sweat and moisture can’t evaporate from underneath like it would with a traditional setup.

I tried a hammock a few years ago but wound up with worse sleeping posture because of the way my back curled. But I also have a friend who loves hammock sleeping.

Agreed, not to mention they are a public place where you can relax without being pressured to spent money. But since we are in a post about scams it felt relevant to mention.

If we want better options we can vote for third party candidates. I have no faith in the system, and a third party candidate will almost never win. But if enough people vote for them it gets them more recognition, which could eventually shift the narrative. Gary Johnson got over 3% of the vote in 2016, and Ross Perot got as high as 19% in the 90s.