Good for them! United we bargain, divided we beg!

They were for a while in the 1970’s through the 90’s (I think), but it was in partnership with the American Motors Company. When AMC went bust, Chrysler bought them out and ended the contract.

Renault is a good brand, but unfortunately for me and my fellows they’re not in the US market. There was talk of them coming back into the market (or was it Peugeot, maybe both?) a few years back but apparently that fell through. I know both Renault and Peugeot have a presence in Mexico but (even before Trump’s threatened tariffs go through) importing cars (especially new cars) from outside the US as anyone other than a licensed dealer can be really cost prohibitive.

No problem! I work in television/live streaming production. Finding and buying “dumb” monitors when we build out new sets and presentation spaces is literally part of my job.

It is still possible to buy “dumb” TV’s. Tons of businesses need them for display purposes (like at fast food restaurants and corporate expos, etc, etc), but you need to search for commercial displays. Like this one.

“And, of course, this podcast is sponsored by the Claymore Corporation! Remember folks, Claymore Landmines: fuck the person directly in front of you!”

The granddaddy of science fiction and futurism channels is Science Fiction and Futurism with Isaac Arthur. The channel has content for days about all kinds of shenanigans humans could be getting up to in space and beyond.

A close second is futurist and science fiction author John Michael Godier. His voice will either weigh your soul down to the core of the earth or you’ll find it grating… there’s really no in-between.

Worse case scenario… you get a horse.

I’ve often wondered, how were the economics of renting a car to drive for a service? Did you usually make back your money for renting and fuel, etc?

Well, what I meant was don’t just take a dealership’s word for the maintenance of a car they’re trying to sell you. But yeah, dealer mechanic shops can be some of the best out there especially for their particular brand.

Kind of a “duh” thing but, only buy used cars.

Always have a trusted mechanic who doesn’t work for the dealer look it over before you buy. Usually new car dealerships are reputable and are looking to move their trade-in inventory, especially at the end of the year when they need to clear the lot for the next year’s models. You can even find deals on vehicles that are only a year or two old like a returned lease, with a moderate number of miles on them and little to no wear and tear. Those are usually just as good as new but so much cheaper.

Be super cautious of the used car dealer chains, like Drivetime and Carvana, they have loads of customer complaints and legal problems in a couple of states (basically, if it seems too good to be true, it is). Do not ever buy a former rental car, unless it’s true love at first sight or you’re desperate… even then think about how people, who’ve only paid like $10-20 for rental insurance, have probably treated that vehicle and reconsider.

The newest and most expensive car I ever bought was a previous model year’s dealer demo. A dealer demo is what it sounds like, it’s the car the dealership displayed in the show room, used for test drives with unsure buyers, running office errands, and showing off at the mall or in parades. Cons: There’s only a few of them, they’ll have a couple hundred miles on the odometer, and you don’t get to pick the color or options. Pros: They’re usually at a decent trim level, in an agreeable color, and well maintained… for thousands less than brand new because they’ve already left the lot a whole bunch.

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Agreed on all soaps… except shampoo. My hair gets crazy damaged by the cheap stuff.

If you have one in your area, go to Aldi. Their knock off magic eraser has held up rather well for me.

Left Samsung’s ever more expensive Note and Galaxy S lines for Motorola’s cheap ass G series like three or four years ago and haven’t looked back. I buy a new phone once a year on my tax return for like $200-250. I gift my previous device to my younger cousins, nieces, nephews, and mother. Keeps everyone from having to pay off devices on their phone plans and the phones are still running rather well year over year. The only hold out, claiming to “need” the latest and greatest, is my older sister who insists she needs the new iPhone every two years.

Drug store nail polish too. $7-9 at Walgreens or CVS and I’m good.

Eggs, eggs, spam.

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The American-Australian science fiction TV series “Farscape.” The themes and characters were all so beautiful, the cast was talented, the writing was great, the season/series long plots were all tight with great pay offs. The story is kind of “Lost in Space” if it was set in a galaxy built out of the cantina scene from “Star Wars: A New Hope.” The Jim Henson Workshop built all the creatures for it and the CG effects actually hold up pretty well.

One character, a priestess named Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan (played by Virginia Hey), was the emotional heart of many an episode. One episode in particular, she’s literally debating a god who has come to collect the soul of another character. She chides the deity saying something to the effect of “as a priestess I have long ago come to terms with different peoples, different beliefs. But all must recognize that life values life.” As a teenager, that really stuck with me. Really shaped how I see the world.

(not an ad, but the whole series is on YouTube, “free with ads” if anyone wants to check it out.)

Anything Aldi brand, Wal-Mart store brand is the same price usually, but Aldi just seems to have better quality. Really it’s easier for me to list what I won’t ever buy store brand: toilet paper, laundry detergent, and hot sauce.