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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: June 21st, 2023

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  • I don’t disagree. But I gotta say, I didn’t realize how much I needed to feel the slight glimmer of hope after seeing the turnout at my local protest in person. I live in a pretty small rural town, granted it’s on the northern California coast, and we have a pretty even spread of old school hippies, conservative ranchers, and libertarian cannabis farmers. Today, it felt like the crowd size exceeded everyone’s expectations by far, not to mention almost all folks passing by were supportive. It felt emboldening, like there could truly be some power building here.

    I don’t really have high hopes things can be resolved peacefully, tbh. In fact, I watched some MAGAt today stop his truck in the middle of the protest, get out to assault some good folks, and proceed to get his ass kicked to a reasonable extent before driving away. I’m a usually pessimist, sometimes a doomer, and often not wrong. But I think now’s the time to shelve the cynicism and encourage as many people as possible to turn out. The maga horde, the excruciatingly loud minority, need the dose of reality that their opposition is real, gaining momentum, and pissed.



  • After reading the article, I’m left wondering how US food waste breaks down between originating from individual households vs grocery retailers, commercial retail food/restaurants and ag suppliers.

    It’s been a while, but I remember reading about how there’s little incentive (maybe it’s even prohibited?) for retailers to send reject and expiring food to food banks instead of throwing it out. I feel like this should be more of a concern considering the demand to food banks is probably going to increase rapidly while funding and donations will likely decrease with the current economic turmoil.

    I suspect we could curb a significant amount of food waste by creating a pathway to divert food waste instead of disposing it outright. Of course, such pathway would need to meet food safety standards while providing a clear regulatory framework to address liability and logistical aspects to make it more profitable to divert vs dispose.

    Anyone from outside of the shithole have any input on how this works in your country?




  • I’m not vegan, and I agree. I’m the cook in my household, and a dozen eggs feels like it lasts forever. In my experience, they’re largely optional outside of baking, which is admittedly probably only because I haven’t experimented enough with applesauce/auquafaba/flax/etc. to get consistent results. Sure, some recipes like carbonara or shakshuka need eggs, but by optional I mean you can plan to make something else where they’re less essential.

    The funny thing is I’ve only noticed dramatic price increases with shittier quality eggs. My local co-op’s prices have held steady throughout the bird flu pandemic, and they sell fairly local cage free dozens for like half the price of the big chain grocery’s store brand.

    I get that many folks relied on eggs as a cheap protein source that’s quick and easy to prepare. I hope people that have poor food security are able to pivot to other cheap proteins like lentils and beans. There’s a little learning curve, and they’re not as quick, but they’re not hard to dress up with aromatics and stock to make a tasty source of protein and fiber.







  • Is $500/month a typical rate in your area? That is unheard of around me, but I think you’re in decent shape if so. Make sure you have enough for the security deposit, it’s usually one month’s rent.

    Other recurring expenses to budget for will be utilities (water, sewer, trash, electricity, maybe gas, internet, and phone - you can estimate from whoever pays these where you’re staying now), auto fuel/maintenance/insurance unless you use public transport or bike, and food as others have covered (I think your idea of practicing grocery shopping and cooking is a good start).

    Beyond that, have realistic expectations for more variable expenses like clothes, home goods, entertainment, eating out, etc. Be mindful, but don’t be afraid to treat yourselves every now and then if you can afford to.

    It’s also wise to save up an emergency fund that can cover you both for six months. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but think of it more as a goal you can keep contributing to with the money you have leftover each month.

    Moving can be expensive, especially the first time when you don’t have many of the essentials. Keep an eye out in thrift stores and online marketplaces for things like cookware, dishes, vacuums, and furniture. These are often much cheaper second hand, and you can upgrade down the road when you know you’re financially comfortable. Good luck!