It’s kinda sad, I’ve been back and forth with online ordering actually being a “logistical god-send” for our chaotic consumerism. I mean think about it, one full delivery truck that can bring in a full neighborhoods worth of goods for the week/day versus every single car being driven to only transport a portion or less of a trunk (sometimes driving out for even one item).

In a perfect “non-monopoly/Amazon couldn’t exist world” where everyone could plan ahead and have everything shipped, you could save on store/display costs (including environmental) and just have a smaller distribution center from semi-trucks to box trucks for local deliveries. Could even go from box truck to local end point distribution (biking,etc) so city spaces could go car-less. Keep the local farmers/co-op markets for socializing/freshest produce-shipping and bob’s your uncle.

Instead we have the worlds most horrific amalgamation where you have underpaid people in fucking V8 trucks delivering a few bags of groceries someone has “door dashed” from the local grocery store or just a burger from a local joint so they don’t have to cook because they only have an hour of free time a day.

It’s so bad and cyclical while just being unavoidable in some areas. On the map, you’ll notice how heavily populated northern europe is compared to a lot of sparse areas which have less options. I’m in a relatively normal size town and there is one big box choice and maybe one defunct “local” store that’s barely getting by.

I had to beg a guy in a corner shopping center “repair shop” for a small syringe of thermal paste when I ran out (I’m not fucking kidding, there’s just no electronics store anywhere nearby, losing Radioshack was fucking hard). Dude at the shop was the only reason I didn’t have to go online and wait a week (he wasn’t selling it, just had spare for his own use). My trades and hobbies make this a common occurrence throughout the week. Most places now are forced to sell on Amazon to remain competitive (Amazon dominates with shipping cost reduction alone for large items), finding a local or even nationally based company through search algorithms becomes harder and harder as they can’t pay to keep up with SEO bullshit. You can try to keep it all legit but with competitive monopolies everywhere you just eventually find out your favorite company no longer really exists.

There are some suppliers I could shop with but each one is an hour drive in different directions and 80% of the time they’re ordering the same shit through the same companies I would be using if I went online. It works sometimes, but takes so much effort it becomes it’s own full-time job that no one has the ability to keep up with.

lol I remember that about the debate fact checking and all the crap they kept throwing up on how a real debate is practically impossible (even though many smaller broadcasters and organizations don’t seem to have any problem with it). They say debates are useless and I’m starting to agree with the general consensus. Now, they should be important. But they way they’re covered in mainstream as more about “feelings”, the lies and propaganda that are allowed to be spread at them, and the fact no politician is actually held accountable for campaign promises makes them moot as they exist today.

I would recommend Majority Report and Humanist Report (Canadian based) off the top off my head (they have links to all their uploads on all the platforms for whatever you use). There are a lot of more independent news organizations that are decent if you start looking for them.

I agree with you and @Nemean_lion@lemmy.ca about the importance of keeping updated. Just remember you don’t have to be the one watching it. There are really great pundits out there who are already doing the hard work of swallowing the crap and serving it up in a decent format. The good ones usually include the hypocrisy, rebuttals, reality of the situation, all sorts of knowledge to share with friends and loved ones (even better if you find a good segment to start them on new news media). (I can provide some creators, but there’s a lot out there you can probably find)

I honestly don’t know how effective any of this is though with the constant swallowing of propaganda. You can dispute one claim with facts, but then they watch an afternoon and get 5 more. I think steering them clear of the bullshit is the most important thing but it’s not just news sources but algorithms on every platform that keeps them locked into that mindset. Laws need to be passed for news/media organizations to make them responsible for the things they report if we want to actually try and reach citizens instead of corpomedia.

edit: grammar

I try to reply instead of downvoting, healthier for discourse and sometimes opens up new perspectives from others. I also try not to abandon conversations (though I have hundreds in my inbox I haven’t gotten to).

I don’t appreciate the shift in trying to pin me with your own thoughts so probably best to end the chain, but I’ll still validate and not argue your experience because it is art (begrudgingly admitted) and you are human.

I wonder a lot about the subcontext of people using “they” so much. In it’s very essence it’s so derogatory, but if you actually used the proper terminology would you just look insane?

Right Wingers have no intention to change or move a little bit left. As mentioned Right Wingers don’t have any sort of remorse for the pain other suffers, only that Right Wingers got affected.

Like of course right wingers aren’t going left… they’re right wingers (talking about categories of groups, not individuals). Right Wingers don’t have remorse because they’re a group, not an individual. Like you can pretend all “Left Wingers” have remorse (compassion)… but that’s obviously not true. A lot of “Left Wingers” don’t care if “right wingers” get hurt, only that they’re coming after left wing groups…

I’ll just blanket reply @Snowclone@lemmy.world and @nahostdeutschland@feddit.org here since it’s all basically the same response I’m getting with attempts at insults sprinkled in.

I guess I’m reiterating, “This is a shit comic that does nothing for anyone but the creator getting rageclicks.” It’s the difference between Dane Cook or George Carlin stand up, punching up or punching down, etc. “656 anti trans bills” (please actually link useful facts snowclown 1,2) This comic didn’t bring up a single one of them, or their authors or their districts where efforts could be made to make progressive movements.

but again, I’m critiquing the comic and it’s attempt at … being something? I suppose I feel it’s more harmful than helpful, helps incite more rage than awareness. It’s an absurd scenario in which a maga person looking at this “knows” they wouldn’t stab someone so they can shrug off the hyperbole (while still supporting politicians that undermine transrights). On the progressive side we just have bullshit political polarization.

There’s deeper conversations and fundamentals to get into which can be debated but irregardless my only gripe is “it’s a lazy comic taking easy swings at low hanging fruit that just further muddies the water instead of progressing anything”. I think if you’re going to be faux-edgy, you should probably stay out of making such direct political statement cartoons.

I think I can explain the bad taste the comic leaves in my mouth regarding politics (and generally a lot of the discussion). It’s not that everything isn’t politics, it’s that everything is being framed as “two-sided politics”, black/white, red/blue. An argument can be made that with “the system”(america), yes voting action can be viewed that way. But it’s subjugating the entire conversation 100% of the time.

For instance, what policy is this comic critiquing and bringing awareness too? It feels like the lowest effort-bottom of the barrel attempt at a political cartoon for the clicks and ragebait. It’s not calling attention to any individuals or organizations involved, it’s a satirical stabbing for communities that are really hurting.

Here’s my dilemma:

• Been without cell service since the pandemic (eventually stopped using the smart phone altogether)
• All my digital needs are satisfied, devices and functionality in every room for every purpose I need
• Have multiple forms of solid and satisfactory communication channels (don’t need a cell number)

I’ve thought about buying a model I could jailbreak, but again it’s just to use a system that’s abusive. “Download our app!”, “Use our digital coupons!”, “Link your phone number!”, “Scan our code!”, “Let us track your location for your convenience!”.

I’m really a niche subgroup though, I already need other devices while at work that a phone wouldn’t suffice for. I kinda see more people going this route though. If your transportation has a computer, then what’s the endpoint in carrying a phone? If your job requires digital devices, the phone is basically reduced to a large brick of a communication device. I see more and more equipment being specialized and having added communication aspects for more complicated machinery, cell phones are not going to keep up with it in a general sense.

tldr: cell phones are just a fad with an abusive system that will die out one day and be remembered like rotary phones. They’re generally subpar for any specific task and are only a place holder till we figure out better systems.

It might help if you included, like, any real information at all since this is so important and meaningful to you. Or just keep raging into the night like a lunatic lol.