To this day, I love to suggest my tech friend switch to Lindows as a joke. Still kills if they get it, otherwise I have to explain “so it’s this old Linux distribution…”

I’m always telling people to REALLY watch Napoleon Dynamite. I think it got quoted and proto-memed to death when it came out, leading to most people having an unfair idea in their head of what the movie is.

The soundtrack is phenomenal. The acting is (mostly) way better than you may have thought it was. Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) was nominated for an Independent Spirit award and he absolutely deserved that nomination. The cinematography is excellent, especially knowing how much it cost to make + how much experience the crew had. Though it’s not explicitly said, I think it’s ultimately a story about neurodivergent people finding friendship, solidarity, and happiness in a world not made for them.

Also, the scene where Uncle Rico throws a steak at Napoleon is still funny.

Honestly: I cannot have the Instagram app on my phone (both for privacy and for addiction) - I have it installed on Waydroid and the fact that it works like 50% of the way keeps me from using it more than a couple times a week.

I love clarifications like this! Good on ya.

It was to me too, had to go looking - guessing this from Wikipedia is what it was:

Kiedis acknowledges in his autobiography Scar Tissue that he had sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl when he was 23, before and after learning of her age, in the 1980s. This inspired him to write the song “Catholic School Girls Rule”.

Sadly, there’s not a singular ethical Amazon replacement out there. You’ve got alternatives like Walmart and Target but I don’t think they rate much higher than Amazon, honestly. I’ll throw out Grove Collaborative for cleaning supplies/home things/toiletries, Thrive Market for foods (though they have a membership fee), Kindhumans and Uncommon Goods for a wide variety of things. Here’s a list of some more places that might be useful - bearing in mind there is no one panacea.

Bookmarked this! Going to come in handy over the holidays especially. Thank you!!

Anecdotal, but I do know personally 2 people who only started driving in their 20s. It’s not a 0% chance that they genuinely are learning to drive.

Very fair! You’ve definitely got a wider perspective than I do, I appreciate it.

Mostly agree, but a lot of thrift stores in the US have gotten significantly more expensive and lower quality over the past 10-20 years. You can blame resellers (like vintage stores) for at least the second part of that, but also fast fashion in general.

I’ve said for the longest time, Apple could put iMessage on Android, charge for it, and make plenty of money (mine included). So I was very intrigued by Sunbird! But I took one look at Sunbird’s website and knew something was wrong. Maybe it was the lack of a clear idea for how they’ll make money or that they didn’t initially disclose the technology behind it.

Suffice to say: I am not surprised by this.

Yes, but nothing has changed in my experience as of yet. I am not a true T-Mobile customer like I was before I switched to Mint.

I’ve used Mint for a little over a year, no major issues past setup. I’ve noticed being “deprioritized” a few times but it hasn’t been terrible. Only thing is that T-Mobile was definitely better / easier for international roaming.

Believe me, I’m always down to talk about Paul F. Tompkins! I thoroughly agree with both recommendations, with a note that some bits don’t hold up super well. But for the most part they’re both still golden!

Going for the more obscure: Bajillion Dollar Properties. Originally made for a dead streaming service, now exists on PlutoTV for free (and can be purchased through Apple et al). It’s a satire of real estate reality shows with phenomenal guest stars throughout. Main cast includes a few folks before they got their bigger roles (like Tawny Newsome, Drew Tarver, and Eugene Cordero) but also includes the GOAT, Paul F. Tompkins.

Very related, I would also suggest the Comedy Bang! Bang! TV show that ran for 5 seasons on IFC. It’s a treasure trove of comedic goodness, lots of great guests, and who doesn’t love Reggie Watts, Kid Cudi, then Weird Al as the band leaders??

Worth noting: you don’t have to know Star Trek to love this show! Sure, it helps, you’ll get a few deep cuts here and there, but it is still an absolute joy.

Ideally, all of society has been destroyed by a meteorite, myself included. But also there’s an afterlife for my cats (and all other pets/animals) where they have all the treats and pets they could ever ask for.

I will say this: my go-to tip for the youths moving out is that good towels are 100% worth the money. I was definitely the young bachelor who bought cheap towels and realized they’re basically useless.

Is there a general recommendation for a similar addon? Is PrivacyBadger the way to go?

I bought this year in the US w/ my partner. Thanks to my credit union, got a rate about 1% lower than average at the time. Mortgage payment is significantly less than rent and most importantly: it’s going to be way, way, WAY less than rent in 10-15 years. Sure, we’ll have other associated home ownership costs, etc etc, but it’s worth it to us. Also, honestly, we LOVE this house. Took our time to find the right place and it has paid off, much happier here than any of the places we rented.