I cannot understand the online age verification crap. You need a licence to buy alcohol, but once it’s in your house your kid can drink it. If their so worried just make it so u have to be 18 to buy a computer. This makes it so a age check was in place to get online, yet no identity is tied to the services. Then anybody underage online is only doing so because an adult facilitated it (which is basically currently the case). Shit I had to show id to get my phone contract, and to get my internet so an age verification check was in place for all these kids smart phones and wifi access that their PARENTS provided and now the parents are mad they have access to adult content??? This is like being mad that your kid under age drank when you bought them liquor. The fuck did they think would happen? The real reason they want this stuff to go in place is to harvest more info for private gain.

Nah, there are tons of trumpers in Vermont too unfortunately. It’s the same story no matter what state ur in. At least it’s less than in NH, or Maine.

I have a POS HP stream kicking around. Celeron and 2gb ram on it. It runs well with antix, I have used lxqt and xfce on it and been able to Google things and browse articles on the web, write word docs smoothly. I put kde plasma on it struggles now. Really it’s time to retire that thing, but I like to occasionally distro hop on it and see what will run on that bunk hardware. So far antiX has been by far snappiest on that laptop, but it’s not as pretty as KDE :c

No kidding. I think our world leaders have forgotten that there is only so much oil in the ground, once it’s all burnt up that’s it poof it’s gone. Makes it even more insane that their bombing oil fields and refineries. If u want a small example of how our billionaire rulers have boned us look at the racket from synthetic rope getting hemp banned. The tldr is DuPont made synthetic rope, but hemp which is sustainable and strong got outlawed due in part to them lobbying. We have a government that exists only to stuff rich peoples pockets from what it seems. There’s more examples than can be listed of private corporations creating rules to make themselves the winners at the expense of the people and the planet, and it’s been going on for over a hundred years and just getting exponentially worse. There’s a reason wealth just keeps consolidating.

I literally started reading 1984 because of the memes and constant references to it last few years lol. Have not heart of grapes of wrath will have to check that one out next! Thanks for the book recccomendation!

I’m in northern New England, moved here from Southern New England. Moved there from Texas. Moved there from Italy. I’m not “from” anywhere so I picked up some odd sayings in my travels LOL. I also make stupid shit up on occasion, gotta keep people on their toes.

That’s rough man. Wise woman once told me tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are, probably just as well to loose some of that crowd. Probably the same folk that before phones would be regulars at the same bar 7 days a week, and only befriended bar mates.

Insane how much literature from over 50 years ago had so much foresight. Just started 1981 and it is eerie to say the least!

I’m trying 🤞 I came to the realization a couple years ago that I was in my phone too much. Memory not what it was, focus lost. It’s an uphill battle but I have been getting further away from it every day. Focus, like reading, takes practice. A lot of people out there are “self diagnosing” ADHD these days because they can’t do anything without watching reels while doing it and their focus is lost. Not trying to demean any mental health issues, just know the phone thing will lead to mental problems! If you smoke crack every day you WILL get addicted and it will impact your health. Phone is no different, nobody is immune no matter how strong willed you think you are.

The issue affects us all, even if you are not a phone addict!

Have u ever bought a used car? Market place is kind of the only way to go, nevermind if you want to sell stuff. I REALLY miss craigslist.

Problem is discipline. Reach for a book instead of doom scrolling. Get something done on the house instead of reading X shitposts. The way most people use phones is a sick addiction that needs treatment, and nobody intervenes. I mean people can’t look in front of their 2 ton steel cage while they hum down the road at 80mph without checking if some random twat added to their snap story lol.

I’ve always done my part. Never understood twitter in the first place!

Yep and the same cart of groceries I spent 100 bucks on last year is about 200 now :( Trump was right. So much winning we’ll get sick of it. Trouble is only the billionaires are winning, at our expense. I’m not having fun anymore.

To be fair, once fuel prices go up the cost of EVERYTHING also goes up. So no it’s not just about pain at the pump, it’s pain at the grocery check out. Pain when the oil truck comes to deliver your liquid heat. Pain when you buy anything plastic, anything grown with fertilizers. People don’t realize petroleum is in almost everything! And if it doesn’t use a petroleum product in manufacturing, it certainly does in shipping.

Ouf my subaru + jeep + dual sport and cruiser combined cost less than the cheapest POS GM ev used 🫪 i need AWD + snow tires to make it up the mountain passes here in the winter, and when it’s more than free ing out I take the bike every day which gets 60+ mpg. I can’t wait for batteries to get lighter and EV bikes to become more popular, I would love to commute to work every day on an electric motorcycle. I have an old naked street bike I blew the transmission out of at 86k miles, I keep thinking about gutting the gas tank and pulling the drivetrain and electrifying it but alas time and money do not yet permit…

I am familiar with Boston, and the 2 times I have driven in nyc it was SIGNIFICANTLY easier to navigate than Boston lol. NYC was at least partially thought out, Boston is what you get when your road planner is a 3 year old toddler who threw a hand full of spaghetti on a map and said theres your streets LOL. Possibly the most annoying city I have had the misfortune of navigating lol.

So you are familiar with the American nightmare? Why do you think so few have kids anymore.

Rich of you to apply the conclusion of a decorated 34 year marine corps general… Who yes said soldiers are pawns for imperialism. It’s a rough life sacrificing your values to provide for your family, but if you bring people into this world you better take care of them.

That’s kind of my whole point. Do you know what an Overton window is? Please listen to bush as president speak on immigration and then listen to fill in the blank current Republican talk about immigration policy. Bush sounds like a lefty by todays standards because we’re so far off the right I don’t know what direction is anymore