Use Substack as your information hub - avoid all corporate/government legacy media like NPR, BBC, CBC, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NYT, WP, and Fox
Been doing all of these for the past 4 years.
Instead of Gmail, use Protonmail
Instead of YouTube, use Rumble
Instead of Amazon, support a local business. Leave them a good review and talk to the people who work there - you might even make a friend and become a regular! #betonmainstreet
Avoid all Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) and CCP TikTok
I have also checked all these boxes for several years now. Among other things, I've found it interesting how difficult it has become to find certain things at places other than Amazon. Search tools have become much poorer at pointing in the direction of other sources. I buy local when I can, but I am far away from any large metropolitan area and local sources are limited for anything not common.
"The trade-offs involved in taking heroin and trade-offs involved in regular exercise, for example, are profoundly different. Drug use and exercise both involve types of pleasure and pain spread over different timescales and in different doses. The baseline from which one experiences the highs of heroin will erode over time, as other parts of life bear the cost of the damage to health and impact of behaviors that accompany addiction. The baseline from which one may gain the highs of regular exercise will improve over time, enhancing other aspects of life, despite the difficulty endured at the outset. Those benefiting from our current form of progress offer a defense by noting that there are trade-offs everywhere and using this argument as an excuse to avoid acknowledging or internalizing negative effects."
The question is: what purchasing decisions are like shooting up heroin and which are like exercising?
Let's say I need some deodorant. I can get it locally at CVS, Walgreens, Target, etc. But few of those places have my preferred deodorant so I typically oder it on Amazon. But even if one of those local places had it, what's the difference between buying from natioanl chains like Target or ordering on Amazon?
A while back I bouht deodorant from a vendor at a local street fair. It was more than double what I pay for deodorant on Amazon, but it was made from all-natural ingredients and I decided to give it a shot. Sadly, I didn't like it.
Or I could not wear deodorant. But that has tradeoffs too.
The article you linked is very interesting. I didn't read all of it, but would like to come back to it. My view of technology is that it is morally neutral tool. All technology can be used for better or worse depending on how people use it. This has always been the case.
I liked how the article discussed negative sum, zero sum, and positive sum tradeoffs. The net impact of our decisions should definitely be considered. But for things that can be purchased easily on Amazon but cannot be easily purchased locally on Main Street, how would balance the positives and negatives of buying on Amazon?
And not that I need to defend myself, but I really do try to buy locally as much as I can.
The once flagship, National Review but also anything associated with Salem Media. I am not sure I have identified all of it but it seems to include Town Hall, Red State, Hot Air, PJM, and Instapundit. If you want indignation, fine but for actually thinking Substack and some of the surviving blogs are much better
These alternatives are great. I'm still hoping to find a better one than Proton. A board member has ties to the WEF. So I'm a bit leery with their platform. I am trying it out though. https://proton.me/about/team
So why did Juror #2 vote for conviction? I can think of several possible reasons: the information diet theory is incorrect (nah), juror #2 was lying or doing oppo research, felt the judge's jury instructions left him no choice, or just raw fear of being doxxed especially after hostility in the jury room. I think the last is the most likely is the last but pretty much all of the alternative theories support the point that the trial should not have been tried in this venue with this judge.
Most Trump supporters I know don’t even use Truth Social. Prosecutors would have removed them from the pool if there was any suspicion of pro Trump sentiments. Strong hunch the juror was lying.
Can’t let injustice pollute a justice system. Like Trump said, if they can do it to him, they can do it to anyone. It was confirmed by Harris boasting about the power in a swipe of the pen.
Last year, I was summoned to jury duty. During the voir dire for an interesting case, I was asked where I got my news from. I said I liked to read independent journalism on Substack. I wasn't chosen. Coincidence?
What I miss most during the ongoing “battle for the narrative” is easily finding reasoned commentary that runs contrary to many of my own views. So I have to trust my own ability to reason whether what I choose to read is sound and cogent. Still, that is better than forcing myself to read the FT, WaPo, and NYT.
And you must have the luxury of time to spare to do that. Wordy posts are always suspect, and the blowhard pieces from mainstream “intellectuals” are like being sucked dry by a vampire. They are trying to convert you to being a blood sucker like themselves. AI is more trustworthy.
It's funny that you mentioned the digital diet. I just started mine two weeks ago. I do all my reading in the mornings or between 11 and 2, mostly. I stopped all social media, even X until after the election. I basically let Substack catch me up and I listen while I walk. That'll be how it is until December most likely. It's been wonderful.
Self-impose screen limits via browser extensions and “Screen Time” rules on your devices. Limit both your daily time on this and that app and enforce a no-devices time frame (mine is 10pm to 7am).
Doubling down on the previous point, connect an outlet timer to your internet modem to auto shut off an hour before bedtime.
Ban screens from your bedroom.
Ask yourself why you reach for your phone. Do you really need to check for an intentional reason, or are you avoiding temporary discomfort? (h/t Nir Eyal)
Read physical books. If this isn’t viable, get an e-reader and make a point to psychologically distinguish it from your other device(s).
If fiction isn’t your thing re Yuri’s recommended readings, pick up a copy of “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman. 40 years later, one can only imagine how disillusioned Postman would be since society has added internet, smart phones and social media.
Excellent post. "Where do you get your information?" is the question I always ask when I suspect someone is disconnected from the truth.
You have freed yourself from most of the chains that bind us away from the truth. But you still have one big blind spot in your path. There is one last domino to fall in this series of lies (to mix my metaphors :).
So I ask you, when it comes to Israel, where do you get your information?
To simplify . . . . get rid of your TV and Smartphone! I wouldn't even know how to turn either ONE of them on. I haven't watched nor owned a TV in decades. On the rare occasion I am in the company of one at someone's house or at work I will scan the dial (changing channels is about the extent of my knowledge) and still, here it is decades later, and there is not a THING I would watch.
Few despise cell phones more than I do. It was an intentional dumbing down of society and a deliberate diversion. Why people are just so stupid today. We now live in the most narcissistic society the world has ever known. These things are more addictive then every other addiction combined! I find myself laughing at folks who scorn the drug and alcohol abusers and can't see they are far worse. At least the drunk passes out. These people cannot go for an hours without their fix. I love the joggers and walkers who all have then in their hand.
With regard to Amazon and all the rest, Walmart., etc. I would die before I used any of them and have always shopped locally.
Lastly, I think people that claim to read the NYT say it so people will think they're smart, not realizing the National Enquirer is now more reputable. Talk about pure unadulterated propaganda. Therefore those who're constantly quoting and mentioning the NYT - WaPo - WSJ are just as duplicitous and deceitful. I still have my digital subscription but solely to keep track of the extent of the subterfuge. The comment section however is truly hilarious and censors anyone that disagrees with the article. It's always reminded me of the Daily Mail headline after Bush won his second term: “How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?”
I can't help but think how 25+ years ago, you were considered well informed if you read the NYT!! And yet now, the second someone mentions it, your first reaction is blatant stupidity!!
I spend my life reading (Substack) and find the comment section is often just as informative as the writer themselves. I'm retired and live alone. I seldom socialize simply because I have such a low tolerance for ignorance. I simply cannot do the nonsensical, totally irrelevant time wasting chit-chat. I find myself always wanting to learn something, which is why I love Substack and all the great people I have met in the comment section. If I had a dollar for everyone I have told about Substack I'd be rich. That said, there are a few that I believe are controlled opposition so it is also imperative to use caution but no where near the degree of MSM!
The day I read the Robert Reich substack was the day I realised that there is plenty of MSM-level garbage on substack. He has so many subscribers... And my God, the comments 😭😞
We call this state of mind Severed Conscience - people have been conditioned by the fast food clicks and likes to shutter their own rational faculties. We have been conditioned to want experts to do our thinking, we think that Gunther Eagleman giving the finger is a form of satire that passes on a counter to the mind virus. Compare how people dunk on their opposition today to the pithy wisdom of Mark Twain. There are more gems in "Either leave them laughing or leave them wondering what the hell you meant" than the snarky "It's the dippsie-do flipp-a-roi that the libtards do."
I avoid google as much as possible, but sometimes have to use it out of desperation. It is always an occasion of shame. I am proud that I have been able to substitute Spotify for YouTube. The only parts of The NY Times I use are the Cooking and the Wirecutter sections. Wirecutter is the most ironically named of newsletters I know of. I feel like the more distance I can put between myself and the MSM, the better my mental health becomes. Instead of news in the morning I cruise the art pages of Pinterest.
Use Substack as your information hub - avoid all corporate/government legacy media like NPR, BBC, CBC, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NYT, WP, and Fox
Been doing all of these for the past 4 years.
Instead of Gmail, use Protonmail
Instead of YouTube, use Rumble
Instead of Amazon, support a local business. Leave them a good review and talk to the people who work there - you might even make a friend and become a regular! #betonmainstreet
Avoid all Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) and CCP TikTok
I have also checked all these boxes for several years now. Among other things, I've found it interesting how difficult it has become to find certain things at places other than Amazon. Search tools have become much poorer at pointing in the direction of other sources. I buy local when I can, but I am far away from any large metropolitan area and local sources are limited for anything not common.
PublicSquare
Never heard of this, but thanks for the tip--I'll check them out!
Same. I’m in big city and buy local when I can, but I choose Amazon often for the sake of time and convenience.
The "C" word, a slippery slope.
We all do it sometimes :(
There are no solutions, only trade offs.
I know so little about anything that I am hesitant to argue any point.
You may be correct, however, not all trade offs are equal. Here is a quote from The Consilience Project. I was reminded of our exchange as I read this. https://consilienceproject.org/development-in-progress/
"The trade-offs involved in taking heroin and trade-offs involved in regular exercise, for example, are profoundly different. Drug use and exercise both involve types of pleasure and pain spread over different timescales and in different doses. The baseline from which one experiences the highs of heroin will erode over time, as other parts of life bear the cost of the damage to health and impact of behaviors that accompany addiction. The baseline from which one may gain the highs of regular exercise will improve over time, enhancing other aspects of life, despite the difficulty endured at the outset. Those benefiting from our current form of progress offer a defense by noting that there are trade-offs everywhere and using this argument as an excuse to avoid acknowledging or internalizing negative effects."
The question is: what purchasing decisions are like shooting up heroin and which are like exercising?
Let's say I need some deodorant. I can get it locally at CVS, Walgreens, Target, etc. But few of those places have my preferred deodorant so I typically oder it on Amazon. But even if one of those local places had it, what's the difference between buying from natioanl chains like Target or ordering on Amazon?
A while back I bouht deodorant from a vendor at a local street fair. It was more than double what I pay for deodorant on Amazon, but it was made from all-natural ingredients and I decided to give it a shot. Sadly, I didn't like it.
Or I could not wear deodorant. But that has tradeoffs too.
The article you linked is very interesting. I didn't read all of it, but would like to come back to it. My view of technology is that it is morally neutral tool. All technology can be used for better or worse depending on how people use it. This has always been the case.
I liked how the article discussed negative sum, zero sum, and positive sum tradeoffs. The net impact of our decisions should definitely be considered. But for things that can be purchased easily on Amazon but cannot be easily purchased locally on Main Street, how would balance the positives and negatives of buying on Amazon?
And not that I need to defend myself, but I really do try to buy locally as much as I can.
As much as I hate Amazon, it is the only choice other than Walmart which is just as evil. COVID lockdowns killed a lot of small businesses.
Also avoid Conservative Inc
The once flagship, National Review but also anything associated with Salem Media. I am not sure I have identified all of it but it seems to include Town Hall, Red State, Hot Air, PJM, and Instapundit. If you want indignation, fine but for actually thinking Substack and some of the surviving blogs are much better
Substack is king. I only wish I could afford to pay everyone I read. Senior on fixed income with no debt.
These alternatives are great. I'm still hoping to find a better one than Proton. A board member has ties to the WEF. So I'm a bit leery with their platform. I am trying it out though. https://proton.me/about/team
I’m using Fastmail for important stuff.
So why did Juror #2 vote for conviction? I can think of several possible reasons: the information diet theory is incorrect (nah), juror #2 was lying or doing oppo research, felt the judge's jury instructions left him no choice, or just raw fear of being doxxed especially after hostility in the jury room. I think the last is the most likely is the last but pretty much all of the alternative theories support the point that the trial should not have been tried in this venue with this judge.
Most Trump supporters I know don’t even use Truth Social. Prosecutors would have removed them from the pool if there was any suspicion of pro Trump sentiments. Strong hunch the juror was lying.
Talk, speculation & theory can be good, but without action, the words and ideas soon evaporate.
When a system is allowed to produce something as unfair as the Trump trial, it must be either torn down or blown up.
Can’t let injustice pollute a justice system. Like Trump said, if they can do it to him, they can do it to anyone. It was confirmed by Harris boasting about the power in a swipe of the pen.
Last year, I was summoned to jury duty. During the voir dire for an interesting case, I was asked where I got my news from. I said I liked to read independent journalism on Substack. I wasn't chosen. Coincidence?
What I miss most during the ongoing “battle for the narrative” is easily finding reasoned commentary that runs contrary to many of my own views. So I have to trust my own ability to reason whether what I choose to read is sound and cogent. Still, that is better than forcing myself to read the FT, WaPo, and NYT.
This. You must have the best writing from people having different opinions to interrogate and critique your own.
And you must have the luxury of time to spare to do that. Wordy posts are always suspect, and the blowhard pieces from mainstream “intellectuals” are like being sucked dry by a vampire. They are trying to convert you to being a blood sucker like themselves. AI is more trustworthy.
It's funny that you mentioned the digital diet. I just started mine two weeks ago. I do all my reading in the mornings or between 11 and 2, mostly. I stopped all social media, even X until after the election. I basically let Substack catch me up and I listen while I walk. That'll be how it is until December most likely. It's been wonderful.
This is the way.
Adding to the list already here:
Self-impose screen limits via browser extensions and “Screen Time” rules on your devices. Limit both your daily time on this and that app and enforce a no-devices time frame (mine is 10pm to 7am).
Doubling down on the previous point, connect an outlet timer to your internet modem to auto shut off an hour before bedtime.
Ban screens from your bedroom.
Ask yourself why you reach for your phone. Do you really need to check for an intentional reason, or are you avoiding temporary discomfort? (h/t Nir Eyal)
Read physical books. If this isn’t viable, get an e-reader and make a point to psychologically distinguish it from your other device(s).
If fiction isn’t your thing re Yuri’s recommended readings, pick up a copy of “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman. 40 years later, one can only imagine how disillusioned Postman would be since society has added internet, smart phones and social media.
Great post; especially liked the Trudeau - Weinstein comparison.
I laughed out loud at "We want your business, homo." Of course.
Excellent post. "Where do you get your information?" is the question I always ask when I suspect someone is disconnected from the truth.
You have freed yourself from most of the chains that bind us away from the truth. But you still have one big blind spot in your path. There is one last domino to fall in this series of lies (to mix my metaphors :).
So I ask you, when it comes to Israel, where do you get your information?
To simplify . . . . get rid of your TV and Smartphone! I wouldn't even know how to turn either ONE of them on. I haven't watched nor owned a TV in decades. On the rare occasion I am in the company of one at someone's house or at work I will scan the dial (changing channels is about the extent of my knowledge) and still, here it is decades later, and there is not a THING I would watch.
Few despise cell phones more than I do. It was an intentional dumbing down of society and a deliberate diversion. Why people are just so stupid today. We now live in the most narcissistic society the world has ever known. These things are more addictive then every other addiction combined! I find myself laughing at folks who scorn the drug and alcohol abusers and can't see they are far worse. At least the drunk passes out. These people cannot go for an hours without their fix. I love the joggers and walkers who all have then in their hand.
With regard to Amazon and all the rest, Walmart., etc. I would die before I used any of them and have always shopped locally.
Lastly, I think people that claim to read the NYT say it so people will think they're smart, not realizing the National Enquirer is now more reputable. Talk about pure unadulterated propaganda. Therefore those who're constantly quoting and mentioning the NYT - WaPo - WSJ are just as duplicitous and deceitful. I still have my digital subscription but solely to keep track of the extent of the subterfuge. The comment section however is truly hilarious and censors anyone that disagrees with the article. It's always reminded me of the Daily Mail headline after Bush won his second term: “How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?”
PS:
I can't help but think how 25+ years ago, you were considered well informed if you read the NYT!! And yet now, the second someone mentions it, your first reaction is blatant stupidity!!
I spend my life reading (Substack) and find the comment section is often just as informative as the writer themselves. I'm retired and live alone. I seldom socialize simply because I have such a low tolerance for ignorance. I simply cannot do the nonsensical, totally irrelevant time wasting chit-chat. I find myself always wanting to learn something, which is why I love Substack and all the great people I have met in the comment section. If I had a dollar for everyone I have told about Substack I'd be rich. That said, there are a few that I believe are controlled opposition so it is also imperative to use caution but no where near the degree of MSM!
Yes! The comments a full of wisdom and knowledge. For me they are a healthy mental dessert after the main mental meal.
The Babylon Bee is the new paper of record. Plus they have an uncanny knack for prophecy.
The Bee is tied for prophecies with South Park and the Simpsons.
Hysterical
The day I read the Robert Reich substack was the day I realised that there is plenty of MSM-level garbage on substack. He has so many subscribers... And my God, the comments 😭😞
We call this state of mind Severed Conscience - people have been conditioned by the fast food clicks and likes to shutter their own rational faculties. We have been conditioned to want experts to do our thinking, we think that Gunther Eagleman giving the finger is a form of satire that passes on a counter to the mind virus. Compare how people dunk on their opposition today to the pithy wisdom of Mark Twain. There are more gems in "Either leave them laughing or leave them wondering what the hell you meant" than the snarky "It's the dippsie-do flipp-a-roi that the libtards do."
It's no wonder so many are lost.
I avoid google as much as possible, but sometimes have to use it out of desperation. It is always an occasion of shame. I am proud that I have been able to substitute Spotify for YouTube. The only parts of The NY Times I use are the Cooking and the Wirecutter sections. Wirecutter is the most ironically named of newsletters I know of. I feel like the more distance I can put between myself and the MSM, the better my mental health becomes. Instead of news in the morning I cruise the art pages of Pinterest.
Nicely done. Great tips. Thanks
Did juror 4 live under a rock? Quite impressive to have no news sources
I don’t see https://substack.com/@elizabethnickson?r=uh42q&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile on your list.
She’s fantastic.