They trick you to think it is (by screaming features at you that you soldemly need), but IMHO, it's not. I only have a couple of songs that I like, and shazam new songs that I will hear along the way.
I honestly think that shazam is the only proper feature that I just might pay subscription for. It's brilliant. It just works, every time!
I have a service that extracts my playback data.
I'm fairly confident I would not just discover 6700 different artists by word of mouth, searching, or shazam combined. It would take a lifetime.
Shazam identifies music that's playing- where is it playing from in the first place?
With all the enshitifications global conglomerates are doing, how sure are you that the company will hold on to the promises they made?
I mean, this data is on their servers, right? (Even if it is stored locally, it's probably scrambled, like the local downloaded music, so that no one else can take advantage of it)
We all forget that these companies operate on a "for profit" basis and will always find ways to maximize it.
Why? Corporate overlords are greedy. Not that I'm against it. They just soldemly ignore the "imaginary line" to absurdity that should not be crossed.
After all, even google found a way to go around the "don't be evil" policy; right now, I get shoved a minimum of 6 ads, each video 😡
Spotify users, get ready for ads right before the chorus of your fav songs.
Exactly. I want to discover new artists, and sometimes I accidentally discover old artists that I should have known about but sheltered, raised-on-small-town-Midwestern-radio old me never could.
Build up a routine of scheduled exercise. It's amazing when you get deep into a job how little time you have, and it's easy to put exercise to the wayside. Make it part of your schedule when it's flexible, and then hold it when it becomes difficult. Exercise has massive outside benefits to overall health mood etc
Yes! I got a stationary bike and set it up with a view of the TV. Now instead of just sitting on the couch watching TV I at least get exercise doing it.
Use a virtual credit card when signing up for subscription services. Set the recurring amount at just enough to cover the trial amount, and then once the subscription fee goes up it'll notify you if you wish to continue paying for it. You can increase the limit if you want to keep the service, or just let the card decline until the service is cancelled. Most credit cards have virtual cards as an option, but I also use app.paywithextend.com
Be careful with the declining part. I believe some companies, notably gym memberships, have ways to make your life difficult if your payment doesn't go through
THANK you! Wish I had known this app two weeks ago. Neither of my banks have virtual credit cards. The one CSR even said "That's a great idea! I'll pass that along." 🙄
cook for yourself at least once a week. Not only is it a good skill to keep polished, you get great control over what you're actually eating. Keeps you grounded to society, the cost of primary prices, and you can compare kitchen costs versus restaurant cost easily. It keeps you involved in society.
Nice to hear it not framed around health only, for once. From most advice it is seemingly impossible to live a healthy life if you dont cook yourself six days a week. Which seems ridicilous. Particularly for one who doesnt enjoy cooking (even though I do know how to cook decent meals).
Wish there was restaurants around here that was more like mess halls, priced at a level everyone could afford to eat at every day, made from healthy local ingredients, shared tables, no attempt at "mood" or theme, no waiters, you get whats served today and no alternatives except for those with particual dietary needs. I ate at the local poor-house once and it was almost what I would have wanted if they just got rid of the preacher and added a payment terminal. I heard those kinda eateries were common back around the early 1900. Why we at some point decided that everyone should mostly cook their own meals, or buy over-salted pre-made meals, and that restaurants should either be a luxury and involve a lot of waiting for a table and a waiter and the meal and the oversized bill and the waiter again to pay, or be fastfood so unbalanced that nobody should really eat it daily.
If you like Indian, there are places that serve Thali lunch or sign up for thali delivery. it is a prescribed meal with some flexible choices but basically slap down $10 and you get a metal tray with 3 curries, soup, rice and bread.
Everyone has the same tray, like you see in prison shows
From most advice it is seemingly impossible to live a healthy life if you dont cook yourself six days a week
For health reasons I am on a diet that has minimal carbohydrates, almost zero. And no seed oils.
For my health journey, it is impossible to eat at a restaurant healthily. even if I order straight meat, many restaurants will cook it in seed oil, so I can never be sure. I.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8w8LKwOeO0
My only option is basically a salad. Which is fine, but not sustainable.
But it IS solvable, if a restaurant's goal wasnt purely to earn the most money possible, I would think. Maybe not on-demand but if they knew you'd be eating daily (subscribtion?) then having a slower no-contaminant part of a kitchen making dietary-different meals would be a nice addition.
A helpful "rule" I set for myself to encourage myself to cook more was to allow myself to indulge if it was a proper, homecooked meal. Stuff like splurging on fancied ingredients (I'm fond of salmon), or having an extra cheesy lasagne. It was a useful carrot to dangle in front of myself, and a useful stepping stone to better habits. I also would sometimes cook for friends, like informal dinner parties (I always found it easier to cook for 4 than for 1)
On the cost side of things, even my fancier meals were still cheaper than takeout. Plus it's easier to eat healthier if you're already cooking for yourself often (and I even broke that down into smaller chunks too — I first focussed on adding more veg and general nutrition, then I reduced the proportion of healthy stuff)