This entire capitulation has made me rethink where I spend my money and my time. For example, I am no longer on FB & X. I am convincing my wife to cancel her Amazon account (no small feat). I don't have an Amazon account. I terminated my WP subscription.
This entire capitulation has made me rethink where I spend my money and my time. For example, I am no longer on FB & X. I am convincing my wife to cancel her Amazon account (no small feat). I don't have an Amazon account. I terminated my WP subscription.
I do not use x/twitter I am no longer on Amazon prime ( I hate they added sports) I do not have the WP and now I am going to stop posting on FB what you did not address is what are some independent sources that we might use instead
Good for you. I've never done social media, cancelled both WaPo and NYT subscriptions last year, and now only use Amazon for reading reviews of items I'm going to buy elsewhere, and descriptions of books I'm going to get on interlibrary loan.
We use Amazon Prime for a lot of things. My goal is to cost them a LOT of money. Forget having things delivered together - each delivery happens one at a time. And I hope watching shows on Amazon Prime costs them for each one we watch. I don't like buying things off of Amazon, but as long as I do (and for various reasons I do) I want it to cost them for each delivery.
Agreed! My Facebook and X accounts are gone and I've likewise convinced my wife to shop on Amazon *less* and spend more time and money at our local shops, of which we have many being in urban Boston.
Being a luddite should come back in fashion. You know that old saw about having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? It dawned on me today that social media - which consists largely of the worst people constantly speaking the loudest - is no different than having several devils on your shoulder 24/7.
Time for everybody to follow that lead - stop spending money on these brownnosers who only care about making more money for themselves - some of the other suck ups like WAPO are already feeling the effects and losing money - do the same to Facebook to Twitter X - they will pay attention to losing revenue.
Keep your Prime Account but only use it for items you are most likely to return. As for Social Media, I struggle to understand the argument for being on it for anyone. I know, I know, reaching people. But as I understand it, the way the systems are set up everyone is preaching to their choir, aren't they?
My WAPO subscription was annual, and dies mid-February unless I renew it. Not that anyone cares, I'm watching and waiting. I take to heart the idea from JVL and others that the *reporting* of WAPO and NYT is important to support. We'll see.
I can't quit Amazon--or can't bring myself to. I live in a small southern city with extremely limited selection of EVERYTHING. Amazon became my lifeline in the 90s and flipping that switch would be an inconvenience--albeit survivable.
I've heeded JVL's notion that WAPO's reporting is worth preserving, but I only have it because it's cheap through Amazon Prime. I'm thinking of dropping it and moving to Apple News for not very much more, and supporting a LOT of legacy media, including some (large market) local newspapers.
WAPO crossed the line when they spiked Ann Telnaes' cartoon. It's one (bad enough) thing to not take an editorial position on an election. Something else entirely to silence an editorial voice.
ЁЯСПЁЯП╜ I am right here with you!! These so-called powerful manly men are just toadies who are slaves to Mammon. They do not deserve our eyeballs or our money. If we all act collectively, we too, can bring them to their knees.
Compared to what Trump could due to Amazon, itтАЩs a good ROI. Last time, Trump tried to increase Amazon shipping costs. Of course, no one is going to watch it.
I donтАЩt know where you live, but I do feel for your wife. In our broken world Amazon has become a utility the saves many folks huge amounts of time searching for items that are no longer available in stores many of which no longer exist. Amazon killed bookstores and if the business hadnтАЩt started with books it might be happy to kill books. I like books more than most people so my relationship with Amazon is very tortured.
Blackwells in Oxford,UK is a better bookstore than Amazon. They are online and ship books to the US without shipping fees. You can also get books that have been printed in England before they are published in the US.
Yes I use them, but am pissed off that they closed there London store. London also has Foyles, which is a great store but does not do well on shipping. My guess is that the audience for books is still better in the UK. Americans no longer have the attention span to read or in many instances to think. I blame social media for helping to make people dumb.
I agree with Marie on this one. If we want to have choices, we have to act accordingly as consumers. It might take a little extra searching, but nearly everything can be found somewhere other than Amazon. There are definitely still lots of great bookstores тАФ both online and in person if youтАЩre in a city.
But before I get too preachy, I have to admit that my neighborhood grocery is a Whole Foods and I havenтАЩt cut it out yet. ItтАЩs walking distance and a really good store, and it makes me so mad that Bezos scooped it up!
Better World Books is where I buy on-line if a title cannot be ordered through my local indie book store. Yes, I pay more than Amazon charges, but we need to put our dollars where are values/hearts are. And BWB offers books both new and in good used condition, with the price of the latter often less than at Amazon and used better than new for the planet. I very frequently buy used.
Yes I am in New York and we still have The Strand and a few independents so I am ok. For years I lived in the UK and even after Amazon there are bookstores everywhere, although not as many. I miss all the hours I spent browsing which is something Amazon cannot replace especially with its really shitty search engines.
I know it is easier said than done to cancel Amazon for many folks. I live in the NE, close to JVL. It will be an inconvenience for my family, no doubt, but doable.
This entire capitulation has made me rethink where I spend my money and my time. For example, I am no longer on FB & X. I am convincing my wife to cancel her Amazon account (no small feat). I don't have an Amazon account. I terminated my WP subscription.
Bulwark Founding member.
I do not use x/twitter I am no longer on Amazon prime ( I hate they added sports) I do not have the WP and now I am going to stop posting on FB what you did not address is what are some independent sources that we might use instead
Good for you. I've never done social media, cancelled both WaPo and NYT subscriptions last year, and now only use Amazon for reading reviews of items I'm going to buy elsewhere, and descriptions of books I'm going to get on interlibrary loan.
We use Amazon Prime for a lot of things. My goal is to cost them a LOT of money. Forget having things delivered together - each delivery happens one at a time. And I hope watching shows on Amazon Prime costs them for each one we watch. I don't like buying things off of Amazon, but as long as I do (and for various reasons I do) I want it to cost them for each delivery.
Agreed! My Facebook and X accounts are gone and I've likewise convinced my wife to shop on Amazon *less* and spend more time and money at our local shops, of which we have many being in urban Boston.
ha! I may have to settle for *less* too. We shall see.
By today's standards this makes you a Luddite, but by my standards you've hit the sweet spot. Fuck these guys.
Being a luddite should come back in fashion. You know that old saw about having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? It dawned on me today that social media - which consists largely of the worst people constantly speaking the loudest - is no different than having several devils on your shoulder 24/7.
Time for everybody to follow that lead - stop spending money on these brownnosers who only care about making more money for themselves - some of the other suck ups like WAPO are already feeling the effects and losing money - do the same to Facebook to Twitter X - they will pay attention to losing revenue.
Just cancelled WaPo yesterday.
Keep your Prime Account but only use it for items you are most likely to return. As for Social Media, I struggle to understand the argument for being on it for anyone. I know, I know, reaching people. But as I understand it, the way the systems are set up everyone is preaching to their choir, aren't they?
My WAPO subscription was annual, and dies mid-February unless I renew it. Not that anyone cares, I'm watching and waiting. I take to heart the idea from JVL and others that the *reporting* of WAPO and NYT is important to support. We'll see.
I can't quit Amazon--or can't bring myself to. I live in a small southern city with extremely limited selection of EVERYTHING. Amazon became my lifeline in the 90s and flipping that switch would be an inconvenience--albeit survivable.
I've heeded JVL's notion that WAPO's reporting is worth preserving, but I only have it because it's cheap through Amazon Prime. I'm thinking of dropping it and moving to Apple News for not very much more, and supporting a LOT of legacy media, including some (large market) local newspapers.
WAPO crossed the line when they spiked Ann Telnaes' cartoon. It's one (bad enough) thing to not take an editorial position on an election. Something else entirely to silence an editorial voice.
One thing I've started doing is browsing on Amazon, and then looking up the source vendor and ordering from them. A lot of them offer free shipping.
I've been getting much of my news from The Guardian. I can read U.S. political news without a photo of that man on every single article.
Really. The endless phtos make me gag.
And it went on for years. You could see the handwriting on the wall. Article about Biden? Photo of T. Article about Jack Smith? Photo of T.
ЁЯСПЁЯП╜ I am right here with you!! These so-called powerful manly men are just toadies who are slaves to Mammon. They do not deserve our eyeballs or our money. If we all act collectively, we too, can bring them to their knees.
Btw, I think the news that Amazon paid Melania $40M for the documentary may be the straw that broke the camel's back for my wife. Wish me luck.
Fck these people.
Who in the world will actually watch that thing? As if.
They must think enough will to get their investment to pay off. Or maybe they'll take a loss, but please DT.
Compared to what Trump could due to Amazon, itтАЩs a good ROI. Last time, Trump tried to increase Amazon shipping costs. Of course, no one is going to watch it.
I donтАЩt know where you live, but I do feel for your wife. In our broken world Amazon has become a utility the saves many folks huge amounts of time searching for items that are no longer available in stores many of which no longer exist. Amazon killed bookstores and if the business hadnтАЩt started with books it might be happy to kill books. I like books more than most people so my relationship with Amazon is very tortured.
Abebooks.com is where itтАЩs at.
Blackwells in Oxford,UK is a better bookstore than Amazon. They are online and ship books to the US without shipping fees. You can also get books that have been printed in England before they are published in the US.
Yes I use them, but am pissed off that they closed there London store. London also has Foyles, which is a great store but does not do well on shipping. My guess is that the audience for books is still better in the UK. Americans no longer have the attention span to read or in many instances to think. I blame social media for helping to make people dumb.
Well put.
I agree with Marie on this one. If we want to have choices, we have to act accordingly as consumers. It might take a little extra searching, but nearly everything can be found somewhere other than Amazon. There are definitely still lots of great bookstores тАФ both online and in person if youтАЩre in a city.
But before I get too preachy, I have to admit that my neighborhood grocery is a Whole Foods and I havenтАЩt cut it out yet. ItтАЩs walking distance and a really good store, and it makes me so mad that Bezos scooped it up!
Better World Books is where I buy on-line if a title cannot be ordered through my local indie book store. Yes, I pay more than Amazon charges, but we need to put our dollars where are values/hearts are. And BWB offers books both new and in good used condition, with the price of the latter often less than at Amazon and used better than new for the planet. I very frequently buy used.
Thx for the tip. I'm a book lover.
Many independent book sellers also use Alibris.com if you are looking for a place other than Amazon to buy books.
Yes I am in New York and we still have The Strand and a few independents so I am ok. For years I lived in the UK and even after Amazon there are bookstores everywhere, although not as many. I miss all the hours I spent browsing which is something Amazon cannot replace especially with its really shitty search engines.
I know it is easier said than done to cancel Amazon for many folks. I live in the NE, close to JVL. It will be an inconvenience for my family, no doubt, but doable.