Foreigner's recent activity

  1. Comment on What's something you're "in too deep" on? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    Hey chocobean, I don't have any useful advice since I don't have experience with homeschooling, but as another neurodivergent parent with a neurodivergent child I just wanted to wish you good...

    Hey chocobean, I don't have any useful advice since I don't have experience with homeschooling, but as another neurodivergent parent with a neurodivergent child I just wanted to wish you good luck. While it's absolutely important to do your best for your child, don't forget taking care of yourself is important too. Not saying this is your case necessarily, but often there's a lot of pressure on parents to do it all and do it to perfection. That's a lot to put on anyone's shoulders, and if you're not doing well, it'll impact your family too at the end of the day.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on What's something you're "in too deep" on? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    This is hilarious! Not exactly related but reminds me a little of that guy on reddit who met his girlfriend's parents' and pretended he didn't know what potatoes are.

    This is hilarious! Not exactly related but reminds me a little of that guy on reddit who met his girlfriend's parents' and pretended he didn't know what potatoes are.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    Thanks as always for the kind words chocobean! Wishing you a cosy and excellent new year :)

    Thanks as always for the kind words chocobean! Wishing you a cosy and excellent new year :)

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    Thank you @TheRtRevKaiser and @Jeakams for the kind words :) I hope you have a great new year!

    Thank you @TheRtRevKaiser and @Jeakams for the kind words :) I hope you have a great new year!

    2 votes

  5. Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    That's so cool!! That must have been an awesome experience, screech owls are so full of character in such a small package! What were they like to work with? Thanks for the compliments! I hope 2026...

    We had some little screech owls at the zoo I volunteered at as a teen and they were my favorite to show to guests

    That's so cool!! That must have been an awesome experience, screech owls are so full of character in such a small package! What were they like to work with?

    Thanks for the compliments! I hope 2026 brings you peace and good health for both you and your partner.

    1 vote

  6. Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    It's crazy how competitive it can be! If you've not watched it yet I really recommend watching Listers on youtube. It's a great free documentary made by two brothers who decide to do a Big Year...

    It's crazy how competitive it can be! If you've not watched it yet I really recommend watching Listers on youtube. It's a great free documentary made by two brothers who decide to do a Big Year (extreme competitive birdwatching) and it's a fascinating glimpse into part of that world.

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    Thanks chocobean, fingers crossed!!! Yeah some days having to drag yourself outside when it's freezing, humid and windy is a struggle. But then you get a glimpse of that one bird you've spent ages...

    Thanks chocobean, fingers crossed!!! Yeah some days having to drag yourself outside when it's freezing, humid and windy is a struggle. But then you get a glimpse of that one bird you've spent ages looking for and suddenly you're in the moment and forget about everything else (at least until the hypothermia hits...).

    I've been obsessed with animals since I was very young but only started birdwatching in earnest a couple of years ago. I had some free time on my hands and realised birdwatching isn't just for retired people :D After many frustrating moments of not catching a bird in the binoculars fast enough to identify it, I picked up bird photography. Then it took on a life of its own. Owls have a special place in my heart though, they're so charming and their eyes almost seem human sometimes. I'll never forget standing in near darkness waiting to spot a barn owl feeling the humid heat of summer and hearing nothing but crickets. Then one comes swooping a few feet above me making their haunting shriek (probably to tell me to back off, so I left them alone shortly after that).

    It's easy to forget the doom and gloom of the world when you're out in nature and live through moments like that. Makes it worth getting up and facing the dreaded outside ;)

    4 votes

  8. Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the kind words DefinitelyNotAFae! I've got photos posted on my flickr account but pulled out the owl ones here: Short-eared owl https://flic.kr/p/2rPuh2u https://flic.kr/p/2rPA9zf...

    Thanks for the kind words DefinitelyNotAFae! I've got photos posted on my flickr account but pulled out the owl ones here:

    Short-eared owl

    https://flic.kr/p/2rPuh2u
    https://flic.kr/p/2rPA9zf
    https://flic.kr/p/2rPzJ5N

    Long eared owl

    https://flic.kr/p/2rNN8HW
    https://flic.kr/p/2rNN8YF

    Little owl

    https://flic.kr/p/2rqNejV

    Tawny owl

    https://flic.kr/p/2qKj3Wv

    I have a very blurry ghostly picture of a barn owl (too dark) so my goal for that one next year will be to get a decent shot of one. I hope you get to see one in the wild sometime, there's something really magical about them!

    5 votes

  9. Comment on Not-so-humble brag: What are you proud of that you don't normally get to talk about? in ~talk

    Foreigner
    Link
    This is pretty insignificant compared to other posts here, but I hit my owl goals for the year! I set out to find and photograph 5 of the 9 owl species that can be normally found here - I managed...

    This is pretty insignificant compared to other posts here, but I hit my owl goals for the year! I set out to find and photograph 5 of the 9 owl species that can be normally found here - I managed to see all of them and get fairly good shots of 4. As someone who used to hate being outside, being exposed to temperature extremes, and getting up way too early in the morning, I'm very happy with my progress.

    I have shared photos online with other owl lovers, but I can't really brag about it to other bird people in real life. The birdwatching world can be weirdly competitive, and some people get a bit huffy about others seeing things they haven't, especially rare and charismatic species.

    Most people who know where to find them are fiercely protective of information around their location (with good reason) so it can be pretty challenging to find them. It took a bunch of studying, detective work, and slogging through the elements to get there.

    I have 4 more to go, which are going to be even harder, but I have a reasonable idea for 3 of them. The bigger challenge will be getting to where they are (fairly remote), spending time alone in the elements, paying careful attention, and then being veeery verrry patient. Guess that'll be my 2026 new year's resolution :)

    18 votes

  10. Comment on Airbus issues major A320 recall after flight-control incident in ~transport

    Foreigner
    Link
    Airbus has proactively grounded thousands of flights for their A320 aircraft due to a software issue. For most of the aircraft this will be a quick fix, but over 1000 will require hardware...

    Airbus has proactively grounded thousands of flights for their A320 aircraft due to a software issue. For most of the aircraft this will be a quick fix, but over 1000 will require hardware replacement and this will take longer. You can read their statement here

    12 votes

  12. Comment on Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world in ~health

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    This tracks with my experience as a woman, but I've noticed is especially flagrant among friends and family going through perimenopause/menopause. Every single one of these women has a complaint...

    This tracks with my experience as a woman, but I've noticed is especially flagrant among friends and family going through perimenopause/menopause. Every single one of these women has a complaint that has been dismissed by their doctors. They've all been told some form of "well that's menopause for ya so you just have to deal with it". Yet hormone replacement therapy exists and even something as simple as progesterone/estrogen/testosterone creams would go a long way to treating what ails them. Each one of them has turned to supplements, chinese medicine, homeopathy, etc because they're desperate and have no other options.

    20 votes

  13. Comment on A Cloudflare outage is taking down large parts of the internet - X, ChatGPT and more affected in ~tech

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    No, Sunbutt23, I am your father. (PS: best of luck to him I hope it goes well!)

    No, Sunbutt23, I am your father.

    (PS: best of luck to him I hope it goes well!)

    4 votes

  14. Comment on A Cloudflare outage is taking down large parts of the internet - X, ChatGPT and more affected in ~tech

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    Thank you for the blessings chocobean! All went fine and I can now catch up on what I missed :)

    Thank you for the blessings chocobean! All went fine and I can now catch up on what I missed :)

    2 votes

  15. Comment on A Cloudflare outage is taking down large parts of the internet - X, ChatGPT and more affected in ~tech

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    I'm waiting to get surgery this afternoon and was hoping to read a bunch of online yuri mangas, but the sites don't work. This outage is homophobic.

    I'm waiting to get surgery this afternoon and was hoping to read a bunch of online yuri mangas, but the sites don't work. This outage is homophobic.

    37 votes

  17. Comment on Tilderinos in ~talk

  18. Comment on Five more arrests as Louvre jewel heist probe deepens and key details emerge in ~news

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    I'm very familiar with the stretch of road they used to access the Louvre and I wasn't surprised they initially got away with it. It's on the side facing the Seine, and there are no storefronts,...

    I'm very familiar with the stretch of road they used to access the Louvre and I wasn't surprised they initially got away with it. It's on the side facing the Seine, and there are no storefronts, cafés, etc, on that side. There's the Pont des Arts bridge which is fairly frequented by tourists and buskers, but on the roadside itself no one really hangs around for long because there are a lot of vehicles passing through. The traffic lights are on either end of the museum, so no one but the buses are stopping in the middle where it happened unless traffic is bad.

    I can also see people not paying much attention to a truck doing some work in the area. Construction or repairs in Paris happen basically constantly, and parts of the Louvre have been undergoing renovation for several months, including that very spot. Certain areas are also used for Fashion Week and other shows, so it's not unusual to see trucks and tents set up next to it. It's easy to overlook something like that unless you're paying attention. Not surprising they had enough time to set up, get in and out, before someone was able to alert the police. It points to a major failure in surveillance on that side of the building and unfortunately it comes down to the same old story. Not enough funds to pay for the equipment and trained staff.

    10 votes

  19. Comment on Good News - A thread and a challenge in ~news

    Foreigner
    Link
    Sam Bentley runs a Youtube channel that shares good news on a monthly basis: https://youtube.com/@itssambentley I really recommend checking it out. You'd be surprised just how many good things are...

    Sam Bentley runs a Youtube channel that shares good news on a monthly basis: https://youtube.com/@itssambentley

    I really recommend checking it out. You'd be surprised just how many good things are happening around the world that you never hear about. Some of them might be happening right at your doorstep.

    6 votes

  20. Comment on Some protein powders and shakes may contain high levels of lead in ~health

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    I have a few reasons for lifting as a woman: I'm on testosterone blockers (not for gender affirming care, I'm a cis woman). Taking T blockers can lead to muscle loss, so I'm lifting to counter...

    I have a few reasons for lifting as a woman:

    • I'm on testosterone blockers (not for gender affirming care, I'm a cis woman). Taking T blockers can lead to muscle loss, so I'm lifting to counter that.
    • I'm hitting 40 soon. The older you get, the more muscle you lose. With muscle loss in older age comes the increased risk of injury and incapacitation. I want to avoid that.
    • I want to get stronger. I've been weak and noodle armed for most of my life. You know the kid that gets picked last for sports teams? That was me, and with good reason. Now I do photography as a hobby and carry around heavy equipmentand have to lift a heavy camera to my face and keep it steady. Can't do that with noodle arms.
    • I also just want to get swole lol

    Having said all this, I'm working on one kidney so I can't go over 1g/kg of protein. I struggle to eat normal quantities of food and get enough calories, and that was the case before lifting. I don't consume protein powders regularly, but they're helpful as a backup when I struggle to eat enough to get the right amount of protein (and calories in general).

    5 votes