Depends on where you are. Where I am, we have little farm shops and bakeries that sell frozen pies that are the real deal. Unfortunately that’s very dependent on location but might be worth a look.

Since you asked, as citizens my family and I:

Have enough solar on our roof to cover our energy use 90% of the time
Sealed our house and improved its insulation for energy efficiency
Drive a plug-in hybrid and avoid unnecessary driving
Have been pressuring our town to be less car dependent and we recently voted to create a mix-use, walkable area down town
Have started a garden to supplement our food
Recycle and try to buy products with easily recyclable, low waste packaging
Try to repair and reuse when possible
Buy used instead of new whenever possible
Try to order things locally or in the US whenever possible, from companies that aren’t billionaire owned
Vote in every election, even the little ones, for folks who make a strong stand for climate action. Talk to our neighbors about upcoming elections and sometimes remind them or even drive them to polling places

An ally would listen to feedback from the minority they claim to support… just sayin’

My opinion as a pragmatist and a woman: an engagement shouldn’t be a surprise. The formality of the proposal itself can be a surprise, but just like a birthday party it should be something expected and at the very least loosely discussed with the person. Asking “what kind of proposals do you like?” and figuring out if they want something public or private, or in front of friends or something small is really important. What kind of engagement ring should go in this discussion. She might hate diamonds, she might love them, she might have a metal allergy, she might have a stone that means a lot to her, she might hate rings with stones at all because they catch on things. You don’t know until you ask, and by asking you’re showing her the respect and that you value her opinion.

Yes but that’s not the cat people are usually referring to when they say "I have a cat I let outside "

This is like saying because there are toads native to Australia, that Cane toads are fine. An invasive species is an invasive species, and is characterized by its spread, reproduction, and harm to the local ecosystem.

Cats outside are an aggressive invasive species in every continent except Africa. I love them but they need to be kept inside, and neutered/spayed. Cats do fine indoors, even ones who have gotten used to going in and out. They may complain but with enrichment and regular play they will get over it. If not, then a catio is a good solution.

In places hostile to cars, it’s perfectly possible for delivery trucks and emergency vehicles to use streets intended for pedestrians. Trucks make deliveries at early hours before there are many people around, and emergency vehicles use sirens and drive at slower speeds. As far as general package delivery, people just use smaller scale methods.

OP mentions their age but not his. If this person is in their 20s, or even 30s, the story changes dramatically

Yes, he’s attracted to you. However, his behavior could be a warning sign depending on how old he is. Is he your age? If so I think he’s excited and enthusiastic about getting your attention, but if he’s older, I agree with other posters this sounds like he’s trying to buy your affection. It’s a warning sign if he’s in his 20s, and a huge blaring red alert if he’s over 30.

If he’s one of your peers, I would be cautiously optimistic but NOT go fishing and definitely do not let him drive you again. This is women’s safety 101: do not ever rely on a date for transportation, do not meet in isolated areas, and let someone know where you will be and when you should be home. If you are in a place that is car dependent, you are at the total mercy of whoever is driving, and giving them too much control over your freedom. Even with ride shares available that is a risk you should try to avoid.

Unless he has already told you where he’s going fishing and it’s somewhere visible and well populated, or you’re going with friends as a group, then you should suggest an alternate activity that puts you around people. Other people are safety, and accountability. If his intentions are good, he should be happy to accommodate you and won’t mind.

I remember when I was 19, I was not the beauty standard, so I didn’t have my guard up as much as my peers. It was flattering and exciting to have someone overtly interested in me. I was frankly naive and oblivious to the fact that I could be preyed on and manipulated. I thought I was smart and confident but I had no idea what was going on around me and a lot of people I thought were “just being nice” were wolves circling. You should know that there are a lot of men who see someone young and inexperienced in dating who might be kind of insecure and see them as a juicy target for control, abuse, and manipulation. Just take precautions. Things might be totally fine, but the consequences for them being a predator can be severe.

In my experience, talking about kids on dates is something you need to get out as soon as other basic compatibility is established. It’s an immediate dealbreaker for many, and it’s a critical component of a future relationship. If your date doesn’t want kids and you do, you basically skip GO and are straight to “okay well guess we’re just friends now” or “nice knowing you”.

Having a nap in a sunbeam

You seem to like to use historical references but with absolutely no respect to their context. I think you need to look again at the intention of the original term rather than the literal meaning at the time. A petite bourgeoisie today would be those people making maybe 200k usd a year who bought their houses 30 years ago and are now so paranoid of the evil leftists coming to tax their money that they consistently vote against their own self interest because they identify with the “upper class”. “Petty bourgeoisie” does not just equal “small business owner”. It’s the people who help put fascists in power because they’re scared of the poor and working class.

Again, Graham identifies with the working class.

If he came from a political background or was groomed by other congress critters I might better share your skepticism. However he was specifically approached by a leftist organization to run because of his activism against a corporation trying to open a large scale commercial fishery in his town. I highly recommend you watch some of his town halls and hear him speak for himself

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GLEftvgSBJs

There was an interview posted just a bit ago that actually addresses those concerns.

https://lemmy.zip/post/65885461

Specifically, his response to the interviewer asking about him getting to DC and not being effective. In summary, he is not just looking to empower himself, he’s looking to empower the working class as a whole. He is attempting to organize and build the power of normal people by uniting them and enabling them to better pressure ALL politicians. He is building a network who is ready to fight against the billionaires and he is under no illusions that he can do it alone.

People mindlessly parroting back today’s talking points for the anti-left smear campaign does make you look like a shill, yes.

How about you actually go do, let’s say, 5 minutes of listening or reading to what Platner actually believes or has to say before you speak? You can even set a timer if you like.

This has major “name three songs” energy.

11,000 volunteers just for his campaign sounds like a decent start. He has also been proactively approaching and getting the support of various unions, like the nurse’s union, united auto works and electrical workers to name a few. Don’t worry, there will be more.

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I’m confident that he will flip a lot of disillusioned repubs.

That narrative make absolutely no sense the second you pick at it. If he’s bougie and a rich kid protecting his own business interests, then his interests align with mainstream DNC and the DNC would back him, not Mills. If his interests were fascist and authoritarian aligned, then he would be in step with current Republican rhetoric and he could just run as that and completely trounce Collins because she’s ancient. Either one isn’t what we’ve actually seen. Instead, entrenched DNC establishment paid big money for attack ads to prop up Mills, and billionaires have been giving millions to Collins to keep her in her seat. If he’s a nazi fascist bourgeoisie plant, why would the fascists and bourgeoisie fight so hard to keep him OUT?