36 Comments
Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Facebook...

Every third post is an ad - honestly though, I can’t name a single product being advertised. Apparently I excel at ignoring.

I scroll through my Friends Feed daily - don’t see any “hate.”

My family is spread around the country - Messenger is great for keeping in touch.

Marketplace - meh... we’ve had much better luck with NextDoor. Although, ND posts tend to be filled with rude (and often hateful) content... so I skip that part.

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

I'll take 'loony' Elon over Zuck. FB used to be fun now it's hate filled and their "community standards" BS has all but killed free speech of any kind. Friend of mine got put in FB jail for a meme he shared 7 yrs ago FFS! Ridiculous.

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

I agree with your Facebook thoughts.

Avoid the News (i.e. here's all kids of ads) Feed. Keep up with your friends and family directly.

Access to user groups is SOOO useful, tech support, local HOA, company & product groups for troubleshooting. SO SO useful, on a daily basis.

- Just beware that Facebook does NOT properly indicate when you've received comments of a troubleshooting post. I might get one reply notification and see 7 replies. So you got to go and be in the groups directly.

Marketplace! Yes. More photos. Video. I can see the seller's other items, they rating, and even look up their profile and make sure they're a legit person. Still doesn't stop a dozen people rom sending the automatic "Is this available" when I'm sending, or the person who's selling who never replies, but it's loads better than completely anonymous Craigs list.

- beware people who want to shift the transaction to ANY other medium. If they message you and ask you to message them on their cell... almost ALWAYS a scam. They want your phone number so they can try and hack into your account.

"I need to make sure you're legit, I'll text you a number and you tell it to me" is the Facebook account reset number.

So keep communication on Facebook Messenger. Key payment for shipped items on Facebook and if there's an issue you can request reimbursement through Facebook. Anyone trying to "go around" is almost assuredly a scam.

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Oct 22, 2023·edited Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

When I reluctantly joined Facebook in 2012 I did so with the personal rules of 1. providing (science/tech) education and/or 2. be entertaining. Stay away from politics. So far, so good.

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Nov 10, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Soon after your sick days, I came down with the flu by postponing the shot too long. I always rewatch Star Trek series on the regular, so my guilty pleasures included Bad Sisters. Brilliant! Paramount+’s live channels had me rewatch The Good Wife. Like The Shield, not my regular fare of sci-fi and hospital shows.

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Oct 25, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Sick-day comfort-viewing movie? Something by the Marx Brothers.

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Movies don't get any better than Duck Soup.... :)

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Oct 23, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

I so agree with Star Trek Voyager. It is my fave of the Trek universe.

I'm watching Babylon 5 that a good friend used to recommend oh so many years ago. Apparently, the first season is not the best but I'm enjoying it. Another might be E.R. I watched it in the middle when it was free without ads. Loved it. Then that channel went away (cable days --some sort of on-demand experiment back then). Last time I tried to watch it, it was on Hulu and then we downgraded to commercials and I just can't handle them anymore.

Later, ...Don

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Oct 23, 2023·edited Oct 23, 2023Author

Always glad to encounter a fellow Voyager fan! Never understood why that show wasn't more popular. Kate Mulgrew was the best captain since Kirk, no contest. And Tim Russ the best Vulcan since Spock!

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Oct 23, 2023·edited Oct 23, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Hey Rick, thank you for your service, I appreciate this newsletter, and though I don’t get to use many of the recommendations, I look forward to the day when I will be able to save a bunch of money from your work. I am waiting for you to check out the FREE TV show that is actually really good, and tell your followers about it. It’s called The Chosen, you can download it to your Roku, Apple TV , Fire stick, tablet. It’s different than any other show you have seen, in that it was completely crowdfunded for the first season, has a plan for seven seasons, currently has an interim agreement with the sag-aftra so they can film and promote season 4 in theaters this coming February. For more info check out the website thechosen.tv

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Frasier! It's a show I despised as a kid that I totally get now. Love the first few seasons, esp the wine & food centered episodes.

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author

TOTALLY. I did a rewatch a few years ago... still holds up really well. Just watched the first episode of the reboot... Frasier is still Frasier but the rest of the characters are pretty meh, unfortunately.

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Episode 1 of the new season had me in tears, super touching tribute. I really like the kid that plays Niles/Daphne's kid, and the way they write the eccentricities of both into his character.

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I'll definitely give it a few more episodes... I just miss all the others so much! :)

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Depending on what kind of sick I am. The Great British Baking Show is very soothing.

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Rick, fun fact about the Shield and Sons of Anarchy. Every main character from the Shield was in Sons, except for Michael Chiklis but if you wait until the very last episode of Sons, guess who is driving the semi truck that "supposedly" goes head on with Jax!

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author

Whaaaat! I didn't know that! I tried a couple episodes of Sons of Anarchy... couldn't get into it.

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Just grabbed the tire inflator. Sick of waiting forever just to add a few pounds of air to my tires. Go through it this time every year. Thanks for the tip!

I will have to check out more groups on Facebook, the ones for cars I own have been very helpful.

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

I’ve been rewatching M*A*S*H lately... absolutely one of the all-time best shows, for so many reasons.

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Hey! Have you ever watched Burn Notice? It's on Hulu too. My son has watched the whole series 10 different times! He first watched this show back in 2015. In fact he started rewatching in the last month. Sons of Anarchy, True Blood, The Shield, & Justified are all rewatching worth. IMO :)

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Burn Notice was a great show. A friend of mine was the primary stunt double for Jeffery Donovan. It’s fun rewatching episodes where I can spot him :)

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author

LOVED Burn Notice! In fact I think I mentioned it a few newsletters back. :)

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Have to disagree Rick.

Can't support what Facebook has knowingly done to spread hate and to politics. Deactivated years ago and did the same recently with Twitter. Loved Twitter and people in there I "talked" to but can't support what it's doing now.

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Hey Rick- it’s your cousin-in-law here. I agree completely that Facebook has become very useful in connecting and communicating with specific GROUPS based on interest or community. However it’s algorithms for advertising and showing me news from friends and family is utter garbage.

“X” (formerly Twitter) has only maintained its usefulness as a to-the-moment breaking news source. Otherwise it’s a morass of complaints, sniping and misinformation.

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Jim... this is embarrassing... "cousin-in-law"? I know a lot of Jims... which one are you??! 😂

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by Rick 'The Cheapskate' Broida

Dan Sapper’s husband

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Ohhhhhh.... Cool! Hi, Jim! :)

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