AnthonyB's recent activity
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Comment on Resist and Unsubscribe in ~society
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of January 26 in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentI mentioned something similar in last week's thread, but Ken Klippenstein has been reporting on this as well. Here's his most recent piece on the topic, which has some additional information. It's...I mentioned something similar in last week's thread, but Ken Klippenstein has been reporting on this as well. Here's his most recent piece on the topic, which has some additional information. It's also worth keeping in mind as some lawmakers are calling for body cameras on all ICE and CBP officers.
On a completely unrelated note, COVID hasn't fully gone away, so if you find yourself out in a crowded space or large gathering, you might want to mask up to protect yourself and others around you.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Post Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Playoffs, Week 3 in ~sports.american_football
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Comment on 2025 NFL Post Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Playoffs, Week 3 in ~sports.american_football
AnthonyB Link🎵When it's Bover, that's the time I fall in love again. And when it's Bover, that's the time you're in my heart again. And if it's Bo, Bo, Bo, Bo, I know, we were gonna win. We were gonna win. 🎵 I...🎵When it's Bover, that's the time I fall in love again. And when it's Bover, that's the time you're in my heart again. And if it's Bo, Bo, Bo, Bo, I know, we were gonna win. We were gonna win. 🎵
I definitely could continue with my final Bo-themed song, but I'll spare everyone because there another long winded Broncos post on the way. It's the last one, I promise.
All week, I had little to no expectations for the Broncos. Yet somehow, they not only managed to make it a game, but actually played well enough for me to think they should have won. Crazy. It just goes to show that no matter how low you set your expectations, sports will usually find a way to make it sting somehow. They say God is a Patriots fan, which, given the state of the rest of the world, totally makes sense.
A lot of the negative comments I see online are focused on Stiddy (who was one boneheaded play from achieving legend status), but I think this was in many ways a "chickens coming home to roost" game.
I've had my concerns about Will Lutz's ability to kick from beyond 50, he missed a 50+ yard attempt. All season, Sean Payton had a ton of unnecessarily aggressive 4th down attempts that didn't pan out, Denver failed to convert an aggressive 4th down attempt early on instead of going up 10-0. Denver had the second most dropped passes in the league (13 more than the third highest team), multiple drives stalled due to a dropped pass. The screens and early down play calling has been in an issue all year, that trend certainly continued. The only thing that was missing was the penalties, and kudos to the defense for not only balling out, but playing disciplined for 60 minutes. Of course, this was the exact type of ugly game that usually ends with a Bo Nix pulling out some sort of crazy drive in the final minutes. Bummer.
Denver has some additional flexibility this offseason now that they are no longer paying Russell Wilson, and they'll need to make the most out of it. Historically, teams that win a ton of one-score games tend to regress the next year (see: 2025 Kansas City Chiefs). The only way around that is to take a leap and be a 12+ win team that doesn't look fraudulent for the majority of the season. That's going to be tough.
Now for the Super Bowl matchup that I didn't want, but fel inevitable. Usually, I am a mid-level Seahawks hater. They were involved in a Super Bowl that I don't like to talk about (actually, make that two), I have a soft spot for the Rams and 49ers, I am not a fan of the uniforms (though the throwbacks are top-3), they traded the corpse of Russell Wilson to us, and the 12th man thing drives me crazy. Congrats, you built an architectural marvel to account for your shitty weather, that doesn't make you the best fans in the league. However, given the circumstances, which includes the Sam Darnold redemption arc, I'm all in on Seattle. Sorry in advance to the Seahawks fans for putting my stink on you.
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Comment on We are witnessing the self-immolation of a superpower in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentI think any issue that makes its way into the mind of the average person is prone to hyperbole, but the idea that we can look at 200 people (or .0005% of the population) owning 7% of the wealth...I dispute the notion that all the returns are concentrating in the few and none are going to normal people....Besides, California's 200 billionaires only own 7% of the state's wealth. There's a notion/vibe that the billionaires own nearly everything, but that's not true.
I think any issue that makes its way into the mind of the average person is prone to hyperbole, but the idea that we can look at 200 people (or .0005% of the population) owning 7% of the wealth and say 'Eehh, not that big of a deal' leaves me with the feeling that you might be desensitized to a trend that has spiraled out of control over the past ~15 years. For the record, the 20,000,000 people that make up the bottom 50% own less than 1% of CA's wealth. There's a notion/vibe that they own nothing, but that's not true.
The real issue is how we define "the few." Is it the 200 billionaires? Is it the top 1%? The top 10%? Top 20%? There is a cutoff point somewhere around the 25% mark where people stop getting a slice of the pie, so in NaraVara's defense, I think 2 or 3 out of 10 counts as "the few." The reason why there is so much focus on the billionaires is that their percentage of the country's total wealth is so outrageously high, even the most right-wing, red-blooded, "don't tread on me/taxes are theft" American would agree to taxing them a small percentage as a way to pay for a miniscule version of the services that are afforded to our much poorer European counterparts.
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Comment on US Democrats successfully strip all anti-trans riders from final appropriations bills in ~lgbt
AnthonyB Link ParentIf only the Republicans shared that vision...We have to work within the reality that we have, not the reality that we want.
If only the Republicans shared that vision...
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Comment on What small thing made a big impact on you? in ~talk
AnthonyB LinkI used to think about these things all the time. How I could trace my circumstances back to one little event or decision. Sadly, I can't remember any of those from my early 20s. Either I was...I used to think about these things all the time. How I could trace my circumstances back to one little event or decision. Sadly, I can't remember any of those from my early 20s. Either I was placing too much importance on the little things, or I'm just getting old. 🦞 "Why not both?" 🦞 Seems like my brain is too full of 15 year old memes to remember critical details of my life.
There is one thing that might apply: my high school buddy's wedding date. I've never been married, so forgive me if I'm not placing enough importance on the date, but then again, I wasn't the one getting married. I think it counts.
What's so important about this wedding date? Well, for starters, it was March 14, 2020. If you haven't blocked that period out of your mind, that's the day everything shut down in the US. I was living in Beijing at the time, and they had shut things down in late January. Like most people, I thought it was going to last a few weeks, maybe a month or two tops. It was actually important for me to be at the wedding, so I figured I'd skip the quarantine and hang out with my friends and family until the big day. I thought I was slick getting myself some extra vacation. Obviously, it didn't go the way I expected. Things got out of hand, and I wasnt able to make it back to the life I was building. I ended up meeting someone, moved in with her, got a job, and by the time I could go back to China, I had a new life. Had their wedding date been set for May or June, I wouldn't have left and the last six years would have been completely different for me.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Post Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Playoffs, Week 2 in ~sports.american_football
AnthonyB (edited )LinkIt was the best of times, it was the worst of times. First things first - Caleb Williams. My goodness. That throw on fourth down was something out of Tecmo Bowl or Madden 04. If he wasn't on the...It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
First things first - Caleb Williams. My goodness. That throw on fourth down was something out of Tecmo Bowl or Madden 04. If he wasn't on the Bears, I'd say he is a lock to haunt the NFC for years to come. But given the franchise's lackluster history with quarterbacks, I'm dropping those odds down to 75%.
Seahawks-49ers was the bloodbath we sort of expected. Gave me Super Bowl 48 flashbacks. No thank you. And does anyone know what happened CJ Stroud? I thought he was on track to be a top-10 QB, but he looked like the second coming of Matt Schaub, or (apologies to our resident Carolina fan) late stage Jake Delhomme. On second thought, let's lower those Caleb odds a tiny bit more.
Now for my Broncos. That was undoubtedly the worst win of all time, at least for me. First, they had to go up against my #1 bandwagon team and all-time favorite non-Bronco. That eased the fear of a loss, but added some bitterness to the sweet taste of victory. But then on top of that, we find out Bo Nix is out for the year before the adrenaline can wear off. What the fuck? That's some biblical, mythological shit right there. Kill your brother and lose your first born type shit. The Lord tests your Bolief in mysterious ways.
As a fan, I am a nervous doomer that always hopes for the best and expects the worst, but during that final drive in regulation, I had total confidence in Nix. I knew they were going to score because the kid is clutch. After this game, I have officially upgraded my Boliever status from “ironic” to “ironclad.” Now he's out for the year. I for one do not feel good about Stidham going up against a Pats team that was already a bad matchup. Denver needed 33 to beat the Bills, and I'd expect the same against Maye and the Pats. People make a big deal out of New England’s schedule, but it's not like they're supposed to be 9-8 or something. They beat the hell out of the teams they played, and they have a very good defense, a strong running game, and an excellent QB. We won't know until they play the game, but it's not looking good. Ugh, sports. Why do we do this to ourselves? This is where I should normally feel happy, right?
To add insult to (literal) injury, the game is plagued by the dumbest “controversy” in recent memory. Everywhere I look, there are people saying the refs handed Denver the game. Ludicrous.
On the interception, the rules are very clear: the receiver has to maintain possession through the ground. That didn't happen. The ball clearly came out of Cooks’s hands as he was in the process of falling to the ground. Had McMillian not been there, and the ball came out like that, it would've been incomplete. If you'd like an example of that exact scenario, look no further than the previous play. Mecole Hardman catches the ball, his elbow and knee both touch the ground, and the ball pops out. Actually, let me show you. Here, take a look. He has possession and his elbow and knee are down. Is anyone calling that play a catch and fumble? Of course not, because that's just a single frame out of context.
What's even more annoying is that there was a clear example of the opposite happening in the Bears game, but people refuse to see the difference. Even the PTI guys were saying it was a catch. So not only did we lose our QB, but now everyone is mad about the win. It just goes to show how much people like Josh Allen, which, I totally get it, but c'mon be reasonable. Yeah, reasonable, like me, the guy who just compared the quarterback's injury to the death of his imaginary first born child. Reasonable.
As for the PI calls, I don't know what to say. The no-call against Moss could have gone either way. It would be a ticky-tac way to decide the game, but Moss has been called for less. I can understand the frustration that they called a similar infraction on the pass to Sutton on the final drive, but (a) Sutton was much closer to the ball and the hold prevented him from getting a second hand on it, (b) the hold across Sutton’s arm was longer, and (c) there was a clear roughing the passer penalty on the same play that would've put the Broncos within two yards of the interference spot. The second PI was about as blatant as it gets. I don't think that one warrants further discussion, unless people are ready to defend the no-call in the 2018 NFC Championship.
What's most annoying about these complaints (yes, I'm still going) is that they are sometimes paired with an absurd conspiracy theory that the NFL wanted the Broncos to win. Seriously? You have a handsome MVP with a movie star wife and huge name recognition, and he's been knocking on the door for years while playing for a perennial underdog/lovable loser franchise that always comes up short. That's a great story. Why would the NFL hold them back in favor of a goofy looking sophomore QB with zero name recognition outside of NFL fans and a coach that is widely despised for his role in a scheme to reward injuries against his opponents? It makes no sense. Unless, of course, they want to set up a triumphant win against Mahomes next year a la Manning in 06, in which case, congratulations to the 2026 Bills. Anyway, enough of that. I'm really hoping for a Broncos-Rams Super Bowl, so if I were you, I'd bet the house on the Pats and Seahawks. If anyone needs me, I'll be watching Jarrett Stidham and Nick Foles highlights.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of January 19 in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentI don't usually participate in online trends, but since everyone seems to be into the 2016 retrospective, I figure it might be fun to leave this here as it is bizarrely relevant.I don't usually participate in online trends, but since everyone seems to be into the 2016 retrospective, I figure it might be fun to leave this here as it is bizarrely relevant.
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Comment on ‘Marty Supreme’ becomes A24’s highest-grossing film at domestic box office with $80 million in ~movies
AnthonyB Link ParentI love Saturday Night! Such a fun movie with a great cast and amazing score. Though I'd say Marty is a tiny bit darker, almost a mix of Saturday Night and the director's first movie, Good Time.I love Saturday Night! Such a fun movie with a great cast and amazing score. Though I'd say Marty is a tiny bit darker, almost a mix of Saturday Night and the director's first movie, Good Time.
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Comment on Twenty-five years of Wikipedia - an interactive retrospective ~fifteen minute read in ~tech
AnthonyB LinkThat was fun, I'm a sucker for an interactive like that. That is wild. Feels like just yesterday my highschool teachers were yelling about how (pre-citation) Wikipedia is unreliable because...That was fun, I'm a sucker for an interactive like that.
When Pope Leo XIV was elected, the Wikimedia Foundation clocked as many as 800,000 hits per second as people came to read about his life.
That is wild. Feels like just yesterday my highschool teachers were yelling about how (pre-citation) Wikipedia is unreliable because "anyone can edit it.*"
*Except me, as I could never keep my name up on the page for my DOB.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of January 12 in ~society
AnthonyB LinkTrump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota after protests Under normal circumstances, this would probably warrant a full post, but I guess we'll save that for when he actually...Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota after protests
Under normal circumstances, this would probably warrant a full post, but I guess we'll save that for when he actually does it.
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Comment on Recommendations needed: Favorite “comfort” movies in ~movies
AnthonyB Link ParentThe first movie that came to my mind when I saw this post was Broadcast News. It's a little bit heavier on subject matter but something about the aesthetic and pacing of 80s movies feels comforting.The first movie that came to my mind when I saw this post was Broadcast News. It's a little bit heavier on subject matter but something about the aesthetic and pacing of 80s movies feels comforting.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of January 12 in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentKen Klippenstein has done a lot of reporting on the Trump Administration's move to investigate groups and individuals who oppose ICE. It's frustrating that the NYT doesn't offer more information...Ken Klippenstein has done a lot of reporting on the Trump Administration's move to investigate groups and individuals who oppose ICE. It's frustrating that the NYT doesn't offer more information related to NSPM-7 and its role in the investigation. This isn't a one-off thing. From Klippenstein's initial reporting on Renee Good's killing:
It’s likely we’re about to hear a lot more about the incident in the coming days. But what you won’t hear about is the role of Trump’s national security directive NSPM-7 in all of this.
Signed last September following the murder of Charlie Kirk, NSPM-7 directs the federal government to focus on rooting out domestic terrorism. The directive singles out violence against ICE in particular as a leading domestic terror threat.
Four days later, Attorney General Pam Bondi signed her own directive building upon NSPM-7 and titled “Ending Political Violence Against ICE.”
Bondi’s order directs federal law enforcement to crack down on threats to ICE officers, which it defines broadly to include things like “doxing” as well as impeding their enforcement actions. Homeland security, to which ICE reports, says that there have been a “1,000 percent increase in attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers since" Trump’s inauguration.
The directive goes on to direct prosecutors to target those interfering with or impeding ICE actions. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for each district shall prosecute any individual who assaults or forcibly impedes or intimidates these officers, who interferes with the performance of these officers’ official duties, or who attempts to do so, consistent with 18 U.S.C.§ 111 and other applicable federal laws,” the document says.
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Comment on Concerning YouTube short I came across in ~society
AnthonyB LinkThis has been going on for a while now. During the shutdown, there were a handful of racist AI-made videos of Black women complaining about not getting their welfare checks. Some of them were...This has been going on for a while now. During the shutdown, there were a handful of racist AI-made videos of Black women complaining about not getting their welfare checks. Some of them were shared and reported on by Fox News. It's as infuriating as it is horrifying. Unfortunately, man-made content can be just as damaging, seeing as how Nick Shirley's "Project Veritas for dipshits" video - which was boosted by Musk - has sparked a wave of outrage and harassment in Minnesota, and was likely the reason why someone made this. We are very much cooked.
With how good AI is getting, we'll very probably have actual riots and political conflict breaking out over AI hoaxes and AI-fueled sentiment campaigns
This is the plot Mountainhead, only we don't seem to have a Ramy Youssef. Nothing means anything, and everything is funny.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Post Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Playoffs, Week 1 in ~sports.american_football
AnthonyB Link ParentLooks like he's out. The second half of his tenure was plagued by the problem of being stuck in the middle. Too good to get a good pick, not good enough to go the distance. They really only tried...Looks like he's out.
The second half of his tenure was plagued by the problem of being stuck in the middle. Too good to get a good pick, not good enough to go the distance. They really only tried to develop 2 quarterbacks in house during his entire tenure, and neither were that great of prospects. I wonder if we'll ever have a stretch where franchise QBs move around more. Seems like the only options are to get an aging star (Favre, Manning, Wilson, Rogers) or a washout looking for a second chance (Darnold, Trubisky, Fields, Geno).
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Comment on 2025 NFL Post Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Playoffs, Week 1 in ~sports.american_football
AnthonyB LinkWhat a phenomenal weekend of football. Panthers v Rams? Great game. Bears v. Packers? Great game. Jags v Bills? Great game. Eagles v Niners? Great game. Pats v Chargers/Steelers v. Texans? Two...What a phenomenal weekend of football.
Panthers v Rams? Great game. Bears v. Packers? Great game. Jags v Bills? Great game. Eagles v Niners? Great game. Pats v Chargers/Steelers v. Texans? Two very solid halves of defensive football. We had four games that could've been THE game of the week any other year. Incredible.
I was neutral for half the games and went 2/3 on teams I was rooting for. The only one that let me down was the Chargers, whose bedshitting forced my favorite team to play my #1 bandwagon. That's what I get for rooting for a rival, I guess.
Actually, the Chargers loss made me reflect on the times I rooted for an AFC West team that wasn't Denver because I couldn't remember a single time they won. I did a little trip down pro football reference's memory lane and the results are insane.
2000: Young Anthony didn't understand FTR and wanted revenge against the Ravens. Ravens win 16-3.
2002: Still don't understand FTR and had some mysterious grudge against the Bucs. Bucs win 48-21.
2003: Couldn't stand Manning because he always tore up the Broncos. Plus I appreciated Dante Hall and Priest Holmes. Colts beat the Chiefs 38-31.
2006: Pats were evil. LT was amazing. Pats win 24-21.
2007: See 2006. Pats win 21-12.
2015: Would've felt a lot better playing the Chiefs instead of the Patriots and I obviously hate the Pats. Patriots win 27-20 (it worked out in the end).
2018: Another year, another wish to see Brady lose. Patriots beat Chiefs 37-31.
2020: Ugh. Brady wins again 31-9.
2025: Chargers lose to Maye and the Patriots 16-3. You've got to be kidding me.
25 years and not a single playoff win from an AFC West rival. That's not cherry picking, either. They're literally 0-8 in playoff games I want them to win. At least the Patriots had the decency to win the one time I rooted for them back in 01. There are probably a few regular season wins sprinkled in over the years, like the time we thought the Patriots were done ~4 years too early, but when it really counts the rest of the AFC West chooses to fuck me. Yes, it's me. I'm the reason.
*Honorable mention: Mahomes & co lost to the Chargers earlier this year when it would've helped Denver lock up the division. Win or lose, Mahomes has never not let me down. I should root for him more often.
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Comment on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shoots and kills a woman during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown in ~society
AnthonyB LinkAfter 24 hours of seeing the partisan reactions to this incident, I'm starting to think we might have crossed a line that we can't go back from. At least not without something catastrophic...- Exemplary
After 24 hours of seeing the partisan reactions to this incident, I'm starting to think we might have crossed a line that we can't go back from. At least not without something catastrophic happening.
The video evidence and the witness testimony are about as clear as you can get. Renee Good did not pose any threat, and the ICE agents clearly escalated the situation and shot her without just cause. After these unidentified masked men shot her, they denied her potential life-saving treatment from a nearby doctor, and their vehicles prevented first responders from arriving on the scene as quickly as possible.
This should be met with universal condemnation; however, Republicans and right-wing commentators are justifying it. They're calling her a terrorist and saying she was trying to kill the man who shot her, as if there isn't clear fucking video of the incident that shows otherwise. They say that the agents intervened after she was blocking traffic, but video shows other unmarked vehicles pass by and witnesses say she was waving them past her. The contradictions alone are completely insane, yet, somehow, people are buying it. They're literally seeing things that aren't there. My bar was already incredibly low, but this is truly unbelievable.
The most obvious comparison I can think of is George Floyd's murder. When George Floyd was murdered on video back in 2020, there was immediate bipartisan condemnation of the officers involved. There was no getting around it. Republicans and Democrats alike expressed horror at what they saw on video. Trump tweeted out condolences and said the FBI would bring the officers to justice. Even police organizations were critical of the officers. Police organizations! It was only after the initial protests when we started to see right-wing efforts to minimize the brutality or justify the actions of the police, but even that was more on the fringe. Conservatives would work tirelessly to tarnish George Floyd's reputation in the ensuing months/years, but the vast majority of the partisan divide that summer was centered around the protests.
What we are seeing right now is on a whole nother level. It's as though there isn't a video. The conservative response to this echos the responses we saw in the wake of Michael Brown or Trayvon Martin. In addition to the absence of video, those responses can be largely credited to the lack of empathy that stemmed from this country's deep seeded racism and society's constant implicit criminalizing of the existence and actions of young black men. That problem has plauged this country for 250 years, and obviously there have been some non-linear, incremental improvements, but at great cost. However, now it seems that lack of empathy has extended beyond race and socioeconomic conditions and into political differences. Apparently, no amount of video evidence can overcome it, either.
Where do we go from here if we can't agree on what's right in front of us?
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Comment on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shoots and kills a woman during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentThere are a lot of ways to alleviate the stress of watching your country descend into madness - go for a walk, hug a kitten, binge watch tv and eat copious amounts of junk food, etc. etc. However,...There are a lot of ways to alleviate the stress of watching your country descend into madness - go for a walk, hug a kitten, binge watch tv and eat copious amounts of junk food, etc. etc. However, in my experience, the best antidote for those feelings of dread and anger is to be around people who feel the same way and want to do something about it. A lot of organizations still have remote meetings and there are plenty of ways you can contribute without even having to leave your house!
I know I'm repeating something that has annoyed a lot of people, but one of the most important things right now is to have a bold and functional opposition party. The primaries are just around the corner...
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Comment on What are some stories of progressivism gone wrong in implementation? in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentSome of my favorite community members got banned, but honestly, they kinda had it coming.Some of my favorite community members got banned, but honestly, they kinda had it coming.
Your comment reminds me of an old series about trying to live without the five big tech companies and how difficult it was. Obviously, canceling subscriptions is easier than completely detaching, but even that can be difficult.