My personal answer is because my audio/sound setup is obnoxiously complicated and I’ve tried to get a variation of it working on my steam deck but never managed it. I’m sure there are ways to do it, but on windows I know how it works and how to fix it if some update breaks it. If I switched it would require a lot more fussing around and special software that may or may not continue being supported and I just don’t want to deal with it.

None of my schools had phones in the classrooms. We had intercom systems that the teacher could use. A speaker on the wall with a button to press to call the front office and another to press when speaking. The only phones I knew of were in the front office and in the teachers lounges.

Exactly this. Public transport in KC is effectively non-existent unless you live in the middle of downtown KCMO.

Also as far as Amtrak goes, my biggest annoyance is that I can’t travel with my dog via train. In Europe many train systems allow dogs with varying regulations and costs, and sometimes you have to buy your large dog a seat which I think is fair. Amtrak in the US doesn’t allow large dogs at all. Now with no domestic airline flying large dogs either (they stopped that during Covid and never brought it back), my only option to travel with my dog is driving. I would happily buy him his own seat on a plane or train, and he’s a certified good boy (CGC and SPOT-ON certificates) so he knows how to behave in public, but nope, not an option.

For me, not having a car will never be an option as long as I live in the US, not because I couldn’t manage to get around without one, but because I like taking my dog on adventures and what little public transportation we have in the US is not dog friendly at all.

Yep. I’m the (apparently minority) weirdo that LOVES the rainbow vomit lights. I have lights everywhere on my computer and desk and it brings me so much joy. It just feels happy to me to have the bright rainbow colors slowly shifting. I find it delightful and will pay extra to ensure devices are not only rainbow capable, but are the right type of rainbow (slow shifting) that I love. My side of our gaming office drives my husband nuts. I regret nothing!

Right? I will happily deal with the cold to make mosquitoes, gnats and ticks a problem I no longer have.

Assuming modern technology didn’t suddenly disappear, I would pick the cold without a doubt. Give me a good sized greenhouse attached to my home for growing my garden and I would be happy as a lamb. I hate summer, and the heat that comes with it. While 9F is colder than I typically prefer for outdoor activities (I generally like it right around 40F) I can make clothing and gear adjustments to continue outdoor hobbies like hiking and backpacking. If it was perpetually colder here I would probably take up a snow sport too. (Currently it’s not snowy enough where I live for snow sports). Also if it’s that cold I would never have to deal with bugs again and I am 100% here for that.

As it currently is I’m basically stuck inside for 3 months of the year due to heat unless I want to drive 8 or more hours for a brief holiday respite. Summer is the worst. Give me arctic cold please.

Backpacking - Either one really swanky sleep system (the full Zenbivy ultralight), or perhaps one crazy expensive ultralight tent like a Durston, or if we’re going budget, an entire setup of basic gear including backpack, tent, cook system, sleeping bag and pad, etc. Everything needed to backpack you could buy for under 1000€ to get started.

Before the Reddit Exodus I only used Reddit and YouTube. Social media is a plague. Once I left Reddit I never looked back and now use Lemmy exclusively. I don’t really see it as “hardcore”, it’s just me avoiding the worst and most stressful facet of modern society. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything by not using any other social media.

A) Completely fucked. Likely dead within days.

B) Less fucked than most I imagine. I do a lot of hiking (multiple times a week) and carry the 10 essentials in my bag, including a water filter. Food would be the biggest issue as I typically only have one meal and some snacks in my bag. I think it’s doable though.

C) I think I’d be fine. I have enough food to last for months if I ration it and the knowledge, seeds and tools to grow a pretty robust heirloom garden. I also have water filtration and backups, as well as tents for shelter, solar rechargeable batteries for light at least until the panels and batteries degrade, and hand tools to build a more robust shelter. If the contents of my whole house came though the difficulty would be feeding my dog and cat, so we’d have to quickly start working on figuring out how to get meat regularly. I’d have about 2 months of food for them, but that would go quick. I am not readily equipped for hunting so I’d have to cobble together some snares. I have Wikipedia downloaded to an old Kindle and that would probably help in that department. I think in this scenario I’d be fine until disease got me. I have emergency antibiotics in my house though so I could at least survive a couple rounds of bacterial diseases.

About the length of a golden retriever

I live in the US, and with the state of things I have decided to make my life more analog and disconnected this year, and for the foreseeable future. Instead of online games, I do puzzles and listen to audiobooks. Instead of doom scrolling for hours, I’ve decided I’m going to start backpacking. Instead of watching so much TV, I’ve been reading more.

All of these things are helping bring me peace. I’ve been pack training with my dog, which means doing longer day hikes with a heavy pack for each of us, and it’s just been so nice. I’m losing weight without trying (which is a good thing as I’m overweight), I’m seeing parts of my area I’ve never seen, and spending fantastic quality time with my dog. This weekend we’re doing a shakedown car camp to see how he does in my smaller backpacking tent and I am SO excited. In 3 weeks we go on our first backpacking trip with a friend, and I’m already dreaming of future trips. All of this is huge for us because I’m allergic to the sun (literally) and he (my dog) is very sensitive to heat, and allergic to wasps (we have to carry epipens for him) so deciding to spend time outdoors has taken a lot of consideration, determination and planning, but we’re doing it. I’m so excited for the adventures we’ll have, I can’t even put my emotions into words.

Perhaps, but Russia is already busy with a war on their front door, I dunno that they’d want to stage one at the side door too. Sure, they’re interested, but realistically I don’t think they’ll stage a coup for it and try to force Norway out. That said, the world is upside down so who knows.

Fair. You asked where I would move to though lol. If it wasn’t for family and job tying me here in the US I would move to Longyearbyen in a heartbeat!

Svalbard

Correct