There’s a lot of grim news out there, and to be honest, I’ve had a difficult time finding hope. Ah, but then I remembered hope is always late for the party, showing up shiny and clean after all the hard work has been done.
Me and hope go way back, so I know you can’t achieve anything worthwhile by getting lost in outcomes. One lesson I’ve learned from just about every bad thing I’ve had to crawl my way out of is the power of a simple work ethic.
Keep your head down. Do what you think needs to be done, and hope will show up eventually. Late as usual.
My personal FU Amazon Challenge is going great, in that I have not purchased anything from them since I made the pledge to reduce my spending there by at least 50 percent. I’ve been looking at alternatives, and I don’t foresee any problems getting what I need.
My digital expenses paled in comparison to regular purchases, but I acknowledge it’s probably my weak link. For example, I subscribe to PBS Masterpiece through Amazon. I tried to see if I could disentangle myself from Amazon and go directly to PBS.
The answer is not exactly. To the best of my knowledge, the PBS Masterpiece channel on Amazon is customized and includes lots of shows that aren’t available on PBS Passport, which would be my other option. Specifically, I don’t think PBS Passport has the same selection of international crime shows – my weakness. It’s $5.99 a month, so I’m not going to worry about it.
I had to remind myself this is about Jeff Bezos and not a boycott of all offensive retailers … because there is no shortage. Few will pass the purity test, so I’m just focusing on alternatives to Amazon. First thing’s first.
I did make an exception for one online source of vitamins and supplements that overplayed its homey roots.
“Here at Swanson Health Products, we’re not too big on talkin’ about ourselves. But if ya would like to get to know us better, this’ll be the place. We come from humble, Midwestern roots but when it comes to wellness, we sure know a thing or two. In fact, we’ve been at this whole healthier livin’ thing for over 50 years.”
I’m sure they are lovely people, and their prices and selections are great, but I draw the line at excessive g-dropping. Ya’ll are goin’ to have to talk like educated folks before I go a givin’ you my money.
Robert Reich on Substack listed seven nonprofits that are litigating against Trump. I checked all the charity watchdog sites – Guidestar, CharityWatch and Charity Navigator – which are slightly different but all focused on giving donors visibility into how efficiently a charity will use your dollars.
I won’t bother with details on how they calculate ratings, but I think you can tell these are top-tier organizations. With Charity Navigator, the 4-star rating starts at 90 percent, so that should give you some perspective. Also, I personally believe Common Cause is probably excellent, but no one has rated them yet. Full disclosure – I gave ACLU $100.
| Nonprofit | GuideStar | CharityWatch | Charity Navigator |
| American Civil Liberties Union | Platinum | A | 4-Star 98% |
| Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics | Bronze | NA | 4-Star 100% |
| Public Citizen | Gold | NA | 4-Star 99% |
| Center for Biological Diversity | Platinum | A | 4-Star 99% |
| Environmental Defense Fund | Platinum | B+ | 4-Star 91% |
| Southern Poverty Law Center | Gold | NA | 4-Star 99% |
| Common Cause | NA | NA | NA |
We are doing great on no Amazon and limiting Whole Foods to a few things we can’t otherwise locate. I do like the 50% goal idea. I have substituted Costco, Trader Joe’s and Bel Air and are able to get most things. We are finding other sources of books.
My Tesla lease is up soon and I will not get another.
I never did much with Zuck, but have quit using Facebook to monitor local community stuff. I am also trying to see what is red state to avoid it and buy Canadian when I see it.
Costco is a great source of supplements.
All great ideas. I am finding it easier than I thought to quit Amazon. I am also trying to avoid products from red states and looking for those made in California. No Jack Daniels for me. I have a Costco membership, but I’ve never actually explored the whole place. That’s next!
I’m not a huge Amazon user, but made the vow not to order anything from them this year, and probably beyond. Thanks for being here in these horrible times Donna, you make a difference. Good information, and you never fail to make me laugh!
Thank you. That means a lot to me.
I knew you could eliminate Amazon. As I mentioned before, we have (so far) totally cut that cord. PBS Passport has more than we can possibly find time to watch AND they are probably one of the last bastions of sensible media. I gave $100 to ACLU also. And now I’m going to take a look at these others. Just wish they didn’t always flood their donors with future communications.
I know what you mean about the flooding. The Dems can’t quite quit me. But you were right at Amazon — way easier than I thought.
My love of crime dramas is pretty satisfied with PBS Passport. Many of them are in languages other than English, but subtitles don’t bother me. Thanks for the list of nonprofits.
OK, I will take another look at PBS Passport. It will give me joy to find one more thing I don’t need from Amazon.
I would love to find ways to send strong messages that would get noticed… Amazon is so huge that I doubt that Bezos would even notice a slight decline in sales. I give money, make calls, and will happily join protests in my city. My biggest shame is in owning a Tesla. Although I purchased it before Elon went completely off the rails, I still feel like I’m driving a billboard. They are as common as Camry’s here in my Blue city, so I imagine I’m not the only one that feels that way. I don’t suppose I could get much for it.
I do feel bad for those who bought a Tesla thinking they were doing the right thing.
As for boycotting Amazon, you can only do what feels right for you, and it sounds like you have a plan. I realize it won’t put a dent in his fortune, but there’s always the matter of perception. It’s just another way to express an opinion, and if enough people do it, someone might notice.
Just FYI. I was sent info on an economic blackout on February 28. Here’s info:
WHEN: Friday February 28th from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM
WHAT NOT TO DO:
Do not make any purchases
Do not shop online, or in-store
No Amazon, No Walmart, No Best Buy
Nowhere!
Do not spend money on:
Fast Food
Gas
Major Retailers
Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Only buy essentials of absolutely necessary
(Food, Medicine, Emergency Supplies)
If you must spend, ONLY support small, local businesses.
Thank you!
Has Robert Reich become a beacon for all those seeking knowledge about what’s going on and finding a way to protest against it, in whatever practical way they can? I first came across him via a UK friend, but now see him being name-checked and quoted by US & Canadian friends too, and am also following him and taking advise on what can be done.
Interesting observation about hope always being late to the party – not something I’d previously considered would be a good thing, but knowing it doesn’t go away and that it will arrive, does have a degree of comfort about it.
It does look that way. I knew who he was but didn’t “discover” him until now. Everyone has an opinion, and that can get old, but I like his the best and appreciate the practical advice.
I appreciate your thoughts about hope being late to the party. You hit the mark on the idea of comfort. Knowing it’s there but hasn’t quite caught up yet can be reassuring when we’re up against the odds.
If you donate $60 (or more) per year to PBS, you’ll have access to all the PBS shows.
I’m so upset & depressed with each approved cabinet member. I only read headlines now and that’s all I can take.
Yes! I donated and now have access to all the shows. Not missing the Amazon version at all.
It is so hard not to be upset and depressed. If you know the headlines are all you can take right now, then that sounds to me like the right decision. We will be of no good to anyone if we don’t take care of ourselves.