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10 votes
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Japan's births decline to lowest number on record
11 votes -
New tourism ad for Australia: "Matesong" featuring Kylie Minogue
I just discovered this new tourist advertisement for Australia. It's sung (mostly) by Kylie Minogue, and aimed directly at a British (English?) audience. As an Aussie, I found a few moments in...
I just discovered this new tourist advertisement for Australia. It's sung (mostly) by Kylie Minogue, and aimed directly at a British (English?) audience.
As an Aussie, I found a few moments in this ad to smile at.
6 votes -
What skill were you once good at that is now completely irrelevant?
E.g. changing a typewriter ribbon, changing the oil in your car.
27 votes -
Cartoonist draws a happy ending for twins that he accidentally put on the "naughty list"
7 votes -
Many Japanese children refuse to go to school
16 votes -
When to stop paying for that subscription gift
4 votes -
Alienated, alone and angry: What the digital revolution really did to us
15 votes -
Ninety-five percent of American schools now conduct school-shooting drills. We spoke to more than twenty students to learn what they see, hear, and feel during what has become a routine experience
14 votes -
The art of dying
10 votes -
We recapped the whole decade - A three-part attempt to figure out what made the ’10s the ’10s
9 votes -
Being laid off from a job is never a pleasant experience, but Sweden's 'transition system' promises to do far more than just get you back on your feet
10 votes -
Learning about love and banter from Tinder, Garry Kasparov, and Turing tests
7 votes -
I think I'm done with Amazon. Recommend me some alternative storefronts.
This story was basically the last straw, but the bigger frustration is that I ordered a NAS on Black Friday that STILL hasn't shipped. I have zero trust in this company to actually deliver me what...
This story was basically the last straw, but the bigger frustration is that I ordered a NAS on Black Friday that STILL hasn't shipped. I have zero trust in this company to actually deliver me what they claim to be anymore, and their listings are crap.
So instead of just spending my time whining (like the Ars comment section seems to be), I'd like to brainstorm alternative places to buy stuff. The main problem is breaking the Amazon habit, especially as it dominates all Google results for whatever you're looking for.
Nothing will ever be as much of a "one stop shop" as the A->Z store, naturally. But I think I'll just set myself up some bookmarks and go to one based on what I'm looking for. Also, while I get that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, there is definitely a sliding scale of better and worse so that should weigh into things.
So let's go by category. I'm just listing out places where I've started to look for things instead. Please feel free to make suggestions. Whatever people recommend, I'll edit back into this list. If you include any general comments about what you like or what they could do better on any of your recommendations or any of mine let me know.
Groceries (Dry goods and sundries)
- Target.com
- Jet.com
- WalMart.com
- CostCo
- Chewy.com: For dog/pet supplies
Groceries (Fresh/perishable and specialty foods)
- Peapod (is this still a thing? Has anyone used it?)
Electronics
- BestBuy.com
- WalMart.com
- Target.com
- Drop.com: Unfortunately, it's whatever happens to be a deal at the time. So good to check in on and get alerts if there is something you're waiting for but not reliable.
- TechnaBob: Same as Drop
- NewEgg: Obviously
- Monoprice: For cables and other staples.
Clothes (basics like socks, t-shirts, underwear, etc.)
Clothes (designer)
- Gilt.com is basically for overstock and weird fashion items. Sometimes there are good finds there though, particularly good deals on designer versions of basics.
Random stuff (specifically random "flea market" type sites)
- Meh.com
- Etsy (for handicrafts and consignment/antiques, although this is also starting to get lousy with shitty knockoffs)
- eBay (can be pretty dodgy, once again crappy knockoff scammers ruin everything)
- CraigsList (if you're okay with used)
Other (specialty sites for very specific things)
- Drop: For stuff in drop communities. Currently they have a very active one for mechanical keyboards along with audiophile gear, writing/stationary, EDC, and random tech.
- The Clymb: A deal site for camping clothes and outdoor gear
- REI.com: More outdoors gear
36 votes -
C.S. Lewis - The Inner Ring
6 votes -
For the eleventh year in a row, Iceland is the country ranking first in the World Economic Forum's Geneva Equality List
7 votes -
I'm freaking out and need advice
My mother died last month and I've been thinking of leaving my father's house ever since then. I initially thought I'd be okay with doing that, regardless of whether or not my father would object,...
My mother died last month and I've been thinking of leaving my father's house ever since then. I initially thought I'd be okay with doing that, regardless of whether or not my father would object, but he talked with me last night saying he'd be okay if I left and now I'm FREAKING OUT.
Background: I'm 23 and living in Houston, Texas. I have an older brother who lives in Dallas who offered to take me in, but it wouldn't be very permanent as he plans on leaving the country for a trip next year and will be gone for some time. I also have a friend from high school who offered me a room, but she lives in Seattle and was fired from her job. No one else who is close to me is able to offer me a place to stay.
My concerns: I dropped out of college. I was planning on going back but then my mother died and that plan was put on hold, so I don't have any marketable skills (I've only ever worked in retail). I also don't have a job lined up anywhere else. I've never had to take on so many bills at one time and therefore I don't know much about budgeting.
I'd like to leave, but where I am it's secure and comfy. Maybe it's finally time I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and start taking control of my own life, but I don't want to risk my safety and finances on a crazy idea.
I welcome any and all advice, and thanks for reading.
edit: changed a word
27 votes -
When does a boyfriend or girlfriend become part of the family?
10 votes -
Every year, revellers gather in a Danish national park to ring in one of the largest Independence Day celebrations outside the US
4 votes -
Reply All - The Real Enemy (3-parts)
Part 1: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/llhd33/152-the-real-enemy-part-1 Part 2: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/94hwe43/153-the-real-enemy-part-2 Part 3:...
Part 1: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/llhd33/152-the-real-enemy-part-1
Part 2: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/94hwe43/153-the-real-enemy-part-2
Part 3: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/j4hl3vj/154-the-real-enemy-part-3
4 votes -
Feminism comes of age in Finland as female coalition takes the reins – but even there, the battle for equality isn't over
8 votes -
The age of Instagram face - How social media, FaceTune, and plastic surgery created a single, cyborgian look
11 votes -
The Christian withdrawal experiment
9 votes -
How I get by: A week in the life of a McDonald’s cashier
14 votes -
Lovers in Auschwitz, reunited seventy-two years later. He had one question
7 votes -
In fastest-growing Texas, rural population is still declining
5 votes -
The fight to make Austin affordable
4 votes -
Middle-class millennials aren’t leaving home
20 votes -
A detailed walkthrough of the process to determine the location shown in photographs released by Europol to help investigate child sexual abuse
14 votes -
Why your kid loves the garbage truck so much
17 votes -
Paul Skalnik is a liar, a con artist and a snitch. The state of Florida is planning to execute a man based largely on his word.
13 votes -
40,000 festive shoppers to hit Swedish superstore – shoppers travel from afar to Gekås Ullared mega-mall, an institution that has its own reality TV show
4 votes -
'A present from Norway and it's dead' – Christmas tree unites London in dismay
8 votes -
I worked for Alex Jones. I regret it
30 votes -
America's parents want paid family leave and affordable child care. Why can't they get it?
15 votes -
What's the education system like in your country?
Ok I'll start: Brazil: here the schools are split between the fundamental level, which is 1-9th grade, which is then subdivided onto fundamental I and II, which range from 1-5th (ages 6-11) and...
Ok I'll start:
Brazil: here the schools are split between the fundamental level, which is 1-9th grade, which is then subdivided onto fundamental I and II, which range from 1-5th (ages 6-11) and 6-9th grades (ages 11-15) respectively. Then we have 'medium' level ("Ensino Médio") which goes from 10th-12th grade, and then we have a national test called ENEM, where everyone takes a test to be able to enroll in the many colleges/universities which accept it, where you then reach 'superior' class and take technical courses and the like.
Class goes from 7-12:20 Am for fundamental II and 1-5:20 pm for fundamental I. This is because each day is divided into six periods of 50 minutes (+a 20 minute break, like in most places) for the sake of making subject distribution easier.
There are 8 subjects in fundamental class, Portuguese (grammar), math, geography, history, science, physical education, English (still mostly grammar) and arts. (Unsurprisingly it's more about culture & music than how to draw)
In 'medium' class, 3 more subjects are added, which are biology, physics and chemistry.Funding for education is reserved for the states to decide, although it usually goes from 15-25% of total tax revenue.
16 votes -
In terms of reading test score points per hour of learning, Finnish students came out on top, followed by kids in Germany and Sweden
5 votes -
DEF CON 27 conference - Nina Kollars - Confessions of an Nespresso money mule
6 votes -
Ukraine has become the 100th country to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration – a Norwegian initiative to make schools safer even during war
10 votes -
In some towns in Finland, one-person households are now a majority
9 votes -
Teacher effects on student achievement and height: A cautionary tale
13 votes -
I showed vintage Mister Rogers to my 21st-century kids
14 votes -
South Carolina's system for magistrate judges is unlike any state in the country: judges can have less training than barbers but still decide thousands of cases each year
4 votes -
ICE creates fake US university, lures international students, collects money, arrests them
21 votes -
Katie Hill, the media, and the limits of revenge-porn laws
8 votes -
People of Chinese descent have long faced prejudice and violence in France. But today a new generation is staking out its rightful place in society
8 votes -
Why is childcare so expensive?
13 votes -
Relentlessly simplify
6 votes -
Blame over justice: The human toll of the US Navy’s relentless push to punish one of its own
5 votes -
In Denmark, children's homes are places of stability, comfort and support – now a British entrepreneur is bringing the model to the UK
3 votes