Normally every Saturday morning I get breakfast from a drive thru window. Lately, it’s been McDonalds. This morning I skipped buying breakfast and made something at home.

1. McDonald’s has gotten expensive, quickly.

2. With Trump and Mush’s DOGE flailing around I think I’ll be limiting my spending to necessities and cut back on luxury items like dining out.

Not happy so not spending.

Remember back when Amazon forked Android OS for use in their tablets and a smartphone. The smartphone failed to sell, and Amazon dropped it. We didn’t know how much spyware Google would implant in Android yet so the Amazon Fire phone was a bit ahead of it’s time. And I think Amazon gave up to easily.

In that same era Microsoft came up with Windows Phone. I never tried one, but some people really liked Windows Phone. After a few years Microsoft gave up and discontinued it. Again, like Amazon, I think Microsoft was a bit ahead of it’s time.

There were others Blackberry OS10, Palm (later HP’s) WebOS, Ubuntu Phone, all abandoned.

I can’t help but think these were lost opportunities. The timing and strategy may have been off, but today one or two of these might have a chance.

The tragedy is that it leaves nearly the entire Western world with only two smartphone operating systems: Google’s spyware packed Android and Apple’s iOS. We need some more operating systems.

Mojeek has a post about Leaving Big Tech which suggests many alternatives to big tech services. Lots of good suggestions in that post, but let’s focus on USA retail and some good online alternatives.

Books: Bookshop.org - helps get you away from Amazon and supports local bookshops.

eBooks: Bookshop.org now has ebooks. I like Kobo for ebooks. I’m happy with the Kobo ebook reader I have and I like Kobo’s online bookstore because it is uncluttered compared to Amazon.

Movies and TV: MoviesUnlimited. I prefer to buy movies on physical media (DVD or Blu-ray). Movies Unlimited has been around since before the Internet and they do an excellent job. Someday streaming services will pull the plug on you. Buy DVD’s.

Regular Retail: Instacart can be a big help. They have more than just groceries. Many different retail chains are available through Instacart: pharmacies, big box hardware stores, etc. Think about the stuff you order from Amazon and see if you can get it through Instacart and since it comes through local stores it helps keep them open.

I’m not a big shopper so none of this is profound but these are some very good alternatives to big tech. Of course buy local in real bricks and mortar shops when you can, but for shopping online give these a try.

H/T: JohnBrady.

Your Easter is screwed.

1. The price of eggs in the US is sky high and rising.
2. Eggs are being rationed by retailers.
3. Chocolate Easter eggs and bunny rabbits are gonna be high because chocolate prices are climbing so you can’t substitute chocolate eggs for real eggs.
4. Robert Kennedy, Jr. is no help. He wants everyone to eat roadkill and tree bark or something. So he doesn’t care about your eggs.
5. Corporate America sold you out decades ago. So now cookies and other stuff you might substitute are all made in Canada, Mexico, EU or China and Trump’s tariffs will be in effect long before Easter so prices will rise sharply and/or supply might be cut off.
6. President Musk is firing everyone in sight. You may not have a job. And even if you don’t work for the US government, but if your corporate employer sells goods to the government your job might be axed too because there are no gov bureaucrats left to answer your emails.
7. But never mind, you can still go to church on Easter Sunday and worship. Pay no attention to the ICE agents, kicking church doors in and rounding up your fellow parishioners during communion.