Sordid Amok!May 30, 2025
The antidote to materialism isn't minimalism; it's maintenance. Keep things. Fix them. Mend them. Grow old with possessions you know well because you've cared for them.
Show threadMichelle HughesMay 30, 2025

@SordidAmok

How? Everything is made out of cheap materials and assembled out of parts that can't be replaced individually.

Show threadSordid Amok!May 30, 2025

@MegaMichelle It does require some learning on the part of the individual.

Thriftstores and antique shops have a lot of stuff that was made to last.

Show threadMichelle HughesMay 30, 2025

@SordidAmok

Also, how much time do you have to spend tending to your things?

Show threadSordid Amok!May 30, 2025
@MegaMichelle Not a lot. Mending clothes and darning socks don't take a lot of time. I do that while listening to Democracy Now or watching a show. I maintain and modify my guitars. Not much else requires it. Almost everything I own is old.
Some stuff - laptops, phones - are out of my range. I'm still learning.
Show threadMichelle HughesMay 30, 2025

@SordidAmok

I like watching youtube videos of people doing crafty things, but it seems daunting to me. I tried to get into building RC planes once, and I spent a bunch of money on tools and materials which now collect dust in my basement. That's why I prefer computer programming hobbies. All you have to do is read.

Show threadNoodlemaz
@MegaMichelle @SordidAmok we have a thing here called Repair Cafe, does that exist where you are? Help and learning!
May 30, 2025 at 5:20amWeb
Show threadMichelle HughesMay 30, 2025

@noodlemaz @SordidAmok

Yeah, we have a hackerspace that does that on ... Thursdays, I think?

Many years ago, I brought in an mp3 player that had a broken headphone jack. I brought in a new headphone jack that I'd ordered, but I found out those weren't as standard as I thought, and the new one was too big to fit.