u/bendallf

I recently learned that the Detroit People’s Food Co-op is facing serious financial challenges and needs our help to stay in business.
▶️ Watch: Detroit People’s Food Co-op Faces Financial Challenges
For anyone unfamiliar with the idea, a grocery co-op is a community-owned grocery store. Instead of the benefits of the business primarily flowing to outside shareholders, a co-op is designed to keep more of that economic activity within the community. That can help make good food more affordable, provide better wages for workers, and keep much-needed money circulating locally.
And it made me think about AFC Wimbledon.
Nerdfighteria has already shown what can happen when a community comes together to support something that matters. What if John Green visited the Detroit People’s Food Co-op, talked with the workers, owners, and community members who make it possible, and helped tell their story?
Then perhaps Nerdfighteria could do what we’ve done before: everyone who wants to could contribute whatever they’re comfortable giving. A few dollars might not feel like much individually, but thousands of people each doing what they can can make a huge difference.
And someday, everyone who participated could tell the story: “I helped Detroit when it was down and out. I was one of the people who helped keep this community institution alive.”
We may not be very powerful as individuals, but we are incredibly powerful collectively.
Maybe this could be another example of what happens when Nerdfighteria decides to help a community keep something good alive.
DFTBA. 💚

Hey everyone! Does anyone know the title of the DW News report that aired today featuring an interview with Steve Fambro of Aptera Motors?
I’d like to show the report to some other people, but unfortunately I forgot to get the title. If anyone knows the title or has a link to the report, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks everyone!

Hi everyone,
First off, let me say that Door County, Wisconsin holds a very special place in my heart. It was the last vacation my family took together before my mom passed away from cancer. Thank you to everyone who has shared their condolences over the years—it truly means a lot.
One day, I plan to return to Door County, not just for a vacation, but to find some peace and closure. I'd even love to make it an annual tradition.
With that said, there are a few things I wish were different:
1. Better passenger rail service
I can easily fly into Green Bay and then take about a one-hour Uber ride to Sturgeon Bay. By train, however, the closest I can get is Milwaukee. From there, I have to take a bus to Green Bay and then another Uber to Sturgeon Bay.
My dream would be to see direct Amtrak service from Chicago Union Station to Sturgeon Bay via Milwaukee and Green Bay. I know that's a major undertaking, but it would make Door County much more accessible for visitors who prefer not to drive.
2. More bike and walking paths
I wish there were safe bike and walking paths throughout Door County. I'd love to explore using my Class 2 e-bike—feeling the wind in my hair, taking in the scenery at a slower pace, stopping whenever something catches my eye, and simply smiling or nodding to people as I pass by. That experience is so much more enjoyable than driving everywhere.
3. Seasonal public shuttle buses
During the busy tourist season, I think it would be wonderful to have a public shuttle bus system connecting the major destinations throughout Door County. Imagine being able to pay your fare through a Door County transit app, hop on and off throughout the day, and bring your Class 2 e-bike along. It would make getting around much easier for both visitors and residents while reducing traffic.
I also want to mention something I've come to realize about travel. I absolutely love visiting big cities like Chicago. It's incredibly easy to get around because there are so many transportation options—mass transit, biking, walking, taxis, and Ubers. The city's density, with buildings going up instead of spreading out, makes those options practical and convenient. I truly love Chicago.
At the same time, Chicago can sometimes feel like a concrete jungle to me. There are parks with grass and trees, and they're wonderful, but I find myself wanting so much more. I want to feel like I'm surrounded by nature—to feel like I'm part of it rather than just visiting a park in the middle of a city.
That's where Door County is completely different. When I'm there, I feel connected to nature. The forests, shoreline, quiet roads, fresh air, and slower pace give me a sense of peace that I simply don't experience in a large city. For me, Door County offers the best part of getting away from it all.
Finally, I think it's so easy to get caught up in the busyness of everyday life that we sometimes forget to slow down and appreciate what's around us. Door County has a unique beauty that reminds people to do exactly that.
To those of you who call Door County home, I hope you know how fortunate you are. It's truly a special place.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks,
Nathan

Long term looker; first time poster here. Earlier today, someone made a post here titled, “What say you?” It was a pretty well written list of question for Boxabl Founders. It asked questions about rewriting part of the company bylaws so that the crowdfunding investors would not get screwed over once again. It is no longer here at all. Why was it deleted and by who? No matter how the founders feel( they do need to do a much better job of listening to others rather than just talking all the time. Thanks.

Hi Fellow Nerdfighters,
When my dad and I go on vacation far away, there is a small bookstore/ice cream parlor located there that we always make sure to visit. It is one of those rare places that feels genuinely alive. Locals gather there, travelers stop in, kids get ice cream, people browse books, and conversations just naturally happen.
The original owners had a simple but powerful goal: create a community meeting spot that was not just another bar serving alcohol. Not that there is anything wrong with bars either. They just wanted to build a different kind of third space for their town.
They took an old abandoned building on Main Street and, using much of their own retirement savings, slowly turned it into a thriving local business over the next decade or two. A few years ago, they decided they wanted to spend more time with their family and eventually sold the business. Thankfully, the new owners have done such a wonderful job carrying things forward that honestly I can barely tell the difference between the old and new ownership.
That whole experience got me thinking.
Independent bookstores, cafés, diners, and other small community gathering spaces are disappearing in a lot of places. Even businesses that people genuinely love often operate on razor-thin margins. Meanwhile, loneliness and isolation seem to be growing almost everywhere.
So I started wondering:
What if communities like Nerdfighteria could help preserve and strengthen local third spaces?
I know this is a huge idea, and I fully realize it may completely fall flat on its face. But I still think it is worth talking about.
My thought was maybe someday creating something almost like a cross between Kiva, Wefunder, and StartEngine — but focused specifically on helping independent bookstores and community gathering spaces survive and grow.
Maybe instead of huge donations, thousands of people could contribute smaller amounts like $100 or $200 each. Not to “get rich,” but to help community-focused businesses get enough runway to survive, improve, and hopefully become self-sustaining over time.
Long term, I think it would be amazing if some of these businesses could eventually transition into worker-owned cooperatives where the employees themselves slowly gain ownership stakes over time. Obviously there would be legal and financial hurdles to figure out, and worker ownership does not magically solve every business problem either. Running any small business is still incredibly difficult. But I still think the idea of community-supported, locally rooted businesses is worth exploring.
I also think it could start much smaller and simpler than outright buying businesses.
For example:
Every month Nerdfighteria could spotlight and support one independent bookstore somewhere in the world.
We could organize coordinated online book purchases or fundraising campaigns.
We could help stores fund accessibility improvements, repairs, events, or café expansions.
Authors could potentially partner with local indie bookstores for signings and community events.
Local Nerdfighters could use these places as real-world community gathering spots.
One thing I admire about the Little Free Library movement is that it reminds people that books and community still matter. I think third spaces matter too.
At the end of the day, I am not really talking about “saving bookstores.” I think I am talking about trying to preserve places where human beings can still gather, talk, read, think, laugh, and simply exist together offline for a while.
Thoughts?
Comments?
Suggestions?
Concerns?
Thanks everyone.

Hey everyone,
I was wondering if anyone has heard of any plans from Rivian to eventually design and build a dedicated van life / camper van based on their electric delivery van platform.
It seems like there’s a real opportunity here if Rivian (or a partner) ever standardized a camper conversion using the commercial van chassis:
Right now, most van life builds are still:
Built one at a time
Highly custom
Expensive ($100K–$250K+ common)
And quality can vary a lot depending on the builder
Plus, when something breaks, you often end up having to troubleshoot and fix it yourself since many systems aren’t supported by mainstream service networks
If Rivian ever mass-produced a “van life spec” version on an assembly line, it feels like it could:
Bring costs down significantly through scale and standardization
Improve build consistency and reliability
Make van life more accessible to way more people
And still keep the EV advantages (range, quiet camping, lower operating costs)
Plus, a huge benefit would be being able to service it through Rivian service centers or dealers instead of relying on DIY repairs for critical systems
It seems like the delivery van platform could already be a strong base for something like this, especially if it were designed with modular interior kits from the start.
Has anyone seen any hints, rumors, or official statements about Rivian exploring this direction?
Curious what people think too—does this feel like a natural next step for them, or am I totally off base here?
Thanks everyone