Taken with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Came home from work one night in 2019 to the church down the street fully on fire. Couldn't get to my house because of a safety zone established around the building, so I hung out with my neighbors and watched it all go down. It was all dramatic and surreal (and kind of metal) to watch. If I remember correctly, it was ruled an arson but never solved. The fire started in the house next door to the church and, all in all, three structures caught that night. The church was a total loss.

My pics and some video I took was used by the local news.

(Taken with a Samsung Galaxy Note 9.)

"Amtrak's decision not to move to a station adjacent to Miami International airport was based on estimates that relocating its existing station at Hialeah would generate an additional 20,000 riders and $2 million in yearly revenue but would cost $5 million annually to execute, according to information it released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request."

So, my 10 year old Chromebook has reached the end of the line and, because of [gestures vaguely around at the state of everything], I obviously don't want to buy another one. I am beginning the process of evacuating all my stuff from Alphabet's ecosystem specifically (mostly Google Drive) and other big tech generally.

Essentially, what I need is an inexpensive mid-tier laptop. No gaming, no need to run complex stuff like video/audio editing, nothing like that... I just need to be able to stream video, look at my email, check social media, download text and photo files, etc (so, running a web browser and saving files... that's it). I'd ideally like to have something I could setup once and then potentially not have to fuss with for years (outside of updates obviously)... like a Chromebook.

Coming to Lemmy because I just have no idea where (else) to get started.

Which distro do y'all think would be a good fit for this purpose? Should I play around with different ones? What laptop manufacturers should I look at? Which ones should I avoid? When I buy one, how do I get a machine that's just formatted without Windows already installed? Should I order direct from the manufacturer or would it be more prudent to buy from a retailer (for like shipping and returns policy purposes)? Has someone already built exactly what I'm talking about, written/vlogged about it answering all my questions, and I just can't find it because of the enshitifacation of search engines?

Any suggestions, tips, blogs to read, tech channels to watch, etc, are all greatly appreciated!

::: spoiler Skill Level Context I have a little experience with building computers and setting them up from scratch. Twenty-ish years ago I was in a single semester high school "Intro to Computers" class where the final had us build a PC from parts provided and install Windows XP (then format the HDD and disassemble everything for the next person's exam). Since then, I've really done nothing like that and have forgotten everything except the very basics (also, a lot has probably changed). The last computer I have purchased is my gaming setup and I bought an it-just-works-out-of-the-box Windows machine off Amazon. It's an iBuyPower brand PC that I will likely be looking to replace with a Linux machine next year... maybe... this replace the Chromebook project is kind of a proof of concept for me before I attempt that. :::

A new study, commissioned by Congress as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Bill, just released.

So, a loca US basedl home school association actually has a football team. They're doing okay in the state rankings (given the circumstances of not being a government backed public school or private donor slash multimillion dollar private school), but I really want to point out the local journalist here. They went out of their way to grab a super local/niche story and, not just report on it but, give it the star treatment. Bro went full NPR voice on an athletic program with like twelve to fifteen students. GOAT.

American comedian Ron White frequently tells a story about how his van was damaged in a comedic way by the technicians at a Sears Automotive Center in Savannah, GA. This week, that Sears Automotive Center is being torn down. While the shopping mall that former Sears location is a part of is otherwise doing well, the Sears has been closed for years. The department store end-cap building and the car service center in its out-parcel property are being demolished to make way for the development of a new apartment complex.

A link to Ron preforming the story for a live audience.

No one’s sure how the ambitious bandits made off with the heavy steel structure, WJLX station general manager Brett Elmore told WBRC.

All pictures in the listing seem to be from before the ship's "Margaritaville" makeover, but it's definitely the same boat. The rest of that class has been retired and sent to the breakers.

In 2023, it was featured in YouTuber Bright Sun Travels cruise video "North America's Worst Cruise Ship." The ship, named the "Margaritaville At Sea Paradise" (at the time of that review), had been purchased second hand and operated by a company called Margaritaville At Sea Cruises (formerly Celebration Cruiseline). All of the Margaritaville and Jimmy Buffett branding was a licensing deal the company made with Buffett's food service and vacations empire.

The ship was originally launched in 1991 as the Costa Classica for the Costa Cruises company of Italy (the same one of the Costa Concordia disaster infamy).

So, who wants to buy a cruise ship? Not gonna lie to you all... she's got some problems, not least of which is the Jimmy Buffett theming.