I've found Total Launcher to be an easy 1:1 replacement for Nova and has some useful, additional features

My cat got cancer from the rabies vaccine, had to get his leg amputated, and now has a month or two left to live, so it's not completely outrageous to be weary. It's called an injection site or vaccine sarcoma. I'm not anti-vax, though. But I am sad about my cat's declining health.

You must not be a minority or have much empathy if you don't understand how a mass demonstration of the klan could make people feel unsafe

You can get anc earbuds and wear those ear protectors over them

It's actually Bike Party, which has a more fun and less aggressive vibe than Critical Mass

Pro-fascist. I saw a bunch of things like SS runes, Celtic crosses, etc.

I recently traveled to Greece and did see some anti-zionist, not antisemitic, graffiti.

There was also a lot of fascist and Nazi related graffiti.

It's terrible how dangerous biking around cars can be, I know from personal experience.

I think every cyclist should have an AirZound on their bike

Taxidermia is pretty shocking, but really well directed and I thought quite a good film

They have drivers safety classes you can take in a day or weekend that make a big difference. A lot of them are on closed tracks that help you with extreme situations and quick reactions. I would look into one of those near you to help with skills and confidence.

But, I prefer to bike whenever possible and use public transportation. If that's an option for you, there's nothing wrong with it and it's much better for your health and the environment.