Foreigner's recent activity

  1. Comment on Private trackers in ~tech

    Foreigner
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    These were exactly the ones I was going to suggest as well, just didn't know if we could name them openly here. The interview process for MAM is honestly not difficult if you follow their...

    I'd recommend looking at RED and MAM as starting points given your mentioned needs.

    These were exactly the ones I was going to suggest as well, just didn't know if we could name them openly here. The interview process for MAM is honestly not difficult if you follow their instructions.

    4 votes

  2. Comment on Private trackers in ~tech

    Foreigner
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    For ebooks there is a private tracker that uses an interview system, I can send you the link via private message. Otherwise have you looked into Anna's Archive? I'm not on it but there's a big...

    For ebooks there is a private tracker that uses an interview system, I can send you the link via private message. Otherwise have you looked into Anna's Archive?

    I'm not on it but there's a big private tracker mostly for music that also interviews, but I've been told it's a pain to keep your ratio up. Can also send you the link to that and their interview website.

    3 votes

  3. Comment on Food place recommendations in Paris? in ~travel

    Foreigner
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Sorry for the delayed reply, it’s been a crazy bananas week at work. You already have a bunch of great suggestions below. ~€50 per person if you’re getting starter, mains, dessert and drinks is...

    Sorry for the delayed reply, it’s been a crazy bananas week at work.

    You already have a bunch of great suggestions below. ~€50 per person if you’re getting starter, mains, dessert and drinks is going to limit your options, especially on Valentine’s day. Some places will have a special Valentine’s day menu, but I find prices of those are often overinflated.

    I absolutely second Le Louis, as @phoenixrises said. If you like bento, there’s Cococo on the same street is a cozy little spot for lunch, not too expensive and the food is fresh and tasty. This is next to the Halles area which has some interesting history as what Emile Zola called the “Belly of Paris”. There is a wealth of restaurants and cafés there, here are a few the might be worth checking out:
    L’Apibo
    Aux Crus de Bourgogne
    Chez Denise

    Kodawari suggested by @PetitPrince suggested is a hell of an experience, especially the one on rue de Richelieu which is decorated like a Japanese fishmarket - just be ready for hella long queues. The menu is restricted mostly to fish based ramen and dishes, so if you’re not a fan of fish the other location would be better (though queues will still be an issue). If you like Japanese and Korean food, the Rue Sainte Anne area near Opéra has a lot of options.

    Closer to the Tulleries/Louvre/Palais Royal areas you have:
    La Cordonnerie
    We Cantine (best Pho and Bo Bun in the neighbourhood)
    La Crème du Palais Royal
    ROOF – more for smaller plates and cocktails, a bit expensive but the view is great (might be a bit cold that time of the year though)

    Close to the Eiffel tower you have the Comptoir de Traboule which has nice food and the prices are surprisingly decent for the quality and location. I’m less familiar with this area but some other options I know in the area are:
    Au pied de Fouét
    De la tour
    In casa

    On Île de la Cité where the Sainte Chapelle is, there’s Les Deux Colombes, which is a cozy spot in an otherwise very touristy area. You'll want to book ahead of time though, it gets busy. If you’re a fan of ice cream, on the island next to that (Île de Saint Louis) there is supposedly Paris’ best ice cream shop Berthillon BUT!! If you just want the ice cream don’t queue to go to the shop specifically. Practically all the cafés in the area serve ice cream from Berthillon so it’s not worth queueing for unless you reaaally want to check out the ice cream shop.

    For vegan food, you won’t go wrong with Maslow but you won’t be able to reserve so either get there early or be ready to queue.

    It's worth checking the Fork website if these restaurants are listed on there as you can get discounts for specific menus if you book on the website.

    If you’re into good coffee, pastry, brunch, etc places I can also give you a list of spots worth going to.

    God there are so many places that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re thinking of something very specific let me know. I hope this helps though!

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Food place recommendations in Paris? in ~travel

    Foreigner
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    There are so many options in Paris it would help to narrow things down a bit. A few questions: Where will you be staying and what sites will you be visiting specifically? If you at least let me...

    There are so many options in Paris it would help to narrow things down a bit. A few questions:

    • Where will you be staying and what sites will you be visiting specifically? If you at least let me know the arrondissement, I can give a few suggestions
    • What kind of cuisine are you looking for? Mostly traditional French/Parisian cuisine? Any specific dishes you'd like to try?
    • What's the higher priority for you - how the food tastes? The ambiance? Having lots of vegetarian/vegan options? That the waiters are super friendly?

    You're really spoiled for choice in Paris, even in some of the most touristy areas.

    5 votes

  5. Comment on Hunger signals messed up in ~health.mental

    Foreigner
    (edited )
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    I’m similar to you in the sense that I stress-starve, rather than stress-eat. I also have ADHD and just plain ‘forget’ to eat (and to make matters worse, the medication is an appetite...
    • Exemplary

    I’m similar to you in the sense that I stress-starve, rather than stress-eat. I also have ADHD and just plain ‘forget’ to eat (and to make matters worse, the medication is an appetite suppressant). I’m also frequently nauseous in the morning so I usually skip breakfast. In short, my eating habits are shit.

    At one point I was having the same issue of getting ravenously hungry right before bedtime. I never figured the exact reason, but what (I think) eventually helped me were multiple things. It was a process, so I’m ordering this from what I do in stress-starving situations and need to survive, up to the point of getting into the habit of eating better and at regular moments (apologies this will be long):

    • I know a lot of people are leery of services like UberEats, but it saved me from one of my worse bouts. Just the idea of going out to get ingredients, planning a meal, or making something myself was unbearable. If you need help, get help, in whatever form best helps you get back on track. There’s no shame in doing what you need to do when you’re struggling. Once you’re on your feet, you can think about what you can do better, but build a foundation first.

    • When I’m in a stress-starving state I make it a point to eat something, anything, whatever my brain is telling me I could remotely enjoy/stomach and is easily accessible. Forget about eating healthy at this point. Brain tells you the only thing it wants is a big heaping spoon of Nutella? Go eat that spoon of Nutella. You can only stomach a few peanuts? Can only drink some broth? Do it. Get your brain back into the habit of eating a bit at a time.

    • Stocking the pantry with stuff that can make meals stupidly easy and quick, and you enjoy (this is important). I make a salad out of nothing but canned corn, kidney beans, tuna and bottled salad dressing. I get frozen meals I can just pop into the microwave. Here’s a cookbook you can download for free with a bunch of super simple recipes for when you’re struggling/can’t find time to cook: The Sad Bastard Cookbook

    • Getting kitchen appliances that make cooking easy and more hands-off, like a crockpot, or rice cooker. Save some recipes that are tasty but basically just involve dumping a bunch of ingredients into those and leaving them to do their thing.

    • Starting to exercise more regularly, specifically weight training. I found that I was getting hungrier way earlier in the day as the muscles continue to burn calories. It’s no longer an option to skip breakfast

    • Because I have muscle building as a goal, I had to up my calories quite a bit and pay attention to things like how much protein I’m getting. This made me a lot more mindful about what and when I eat. When you realise you still need another several hundred calories at the end of the day and you can’t bear to eat anything else, you learn pretty quickly to spread your meals out in a more reasonable manner.

    The irony in all this is that I LOVE food and cooking, I’m just very bad at loving myself enough to make the effort. It took time and taking incremental steps to improving (and avoiding trying to get everything right from the start).

    What I wrote above is what worked for me – YMMV. Age, hormones and genetics can also have an impact on appetite. And it’s always best to get the advice of a doctor if you have any specific health concerns.

    Best of luck!

    Edit: forgot to add the link to the cookbook!

    17 votes

  6. Comment on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech to World Economic Forum in ~society

    Foreigner
    Link Parent
    Just to add that WEF (or World Economic Forum) is a non-profit think-tank and convener, Davos is their annual big meeting. Outside of Davos, they organise other conferences, multistakeholder...

    Just to add that WEF (or World Economic Forum) is a non-profit think-tank and convener, Davos is their annual big meeting. Outside of Davos, they organise other conferences, multistakeholder initiatives, projects, write reports, etc. They run on membership fees from their corporate members (many of whom you see featured at Davos).

    5 votes

  7. Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health

    Foreigner
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    I had to stop weightlifting for a couple of months and it suuuuuucks to get back in. I took a break because at one point I was doing hanging knee raises and felt a searing pain in my lower left...

    I had to stop weightlifting for a couple of months and it suuuuuucks to get back in. I took a break because at one point I was doing hanging knee raises and felt a searing pain in my lower left ab. I stopped for a few days and thought it would be fine because I didn't otherwise feel any pain. Unfortunately the same thing happened when I tried again - had to nope out after just one raise. I was worried I'd given myself a hernia or something.

    I decided to take a longer break over the holiday season and give my body time to rest. After new year's I dragged my sorry self back. Had to drastically reduce the weights and it almost feels like going back to square 1. I am slowly working my way back up, but being 40, and having both stiff and hyper mobile joints, well it's hell.

    For knee raises, instead of hanging I lowered the level way down to captain's chair knee raises. I was very nervous, but good news there was no pain! I was also surprised how much easier it felt than when I started. I remember months ago doing the same exercise I was trembling like crazy. I guess even if you take a long break the progress made is still in there somewhere. Worked my way back up to captain's chair leg raise, and today attempted to do hanging knee raises. It's going well so far, so I'm happy about that! Slow and steady wins the race and all that, just gotta be patient.

    I've also started incorporating yoga during recovery days for mobility. I haaaaaate yoga, and pretty much anything involving stretching. I'm about as flexible as a corpse in rigor mortis. I'm also like 90% legs, so forget about touching my toes. So much of yoga involves stretching your hamstrings (goddamn downward facing dog, I hate you so much). I'm hoping it gets easier with time, but christ do I hate it.

  8. Comment on Is there a way to donate or give unused ADHD medication to people in need? in ~health.mental

    Foreigner
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    Others have covered the legal disclaimer, but I'd caution that you should be very careful who you choose to donate to. Though rare, if someone has a severe adverse reaction, it might come back to...

    Others have covered the legal disclaimer, but I'd caution that you should be very careful who you choose to donate to. Though rare, if someone has a severe adverse reaction, it might come back to bite you. You could inadvertently be putting someone's life in danger.

    Having said that, I'm part of an ADHD support group that meets up in person and some people in the group exchange or donate meds to each other. Could there perhaps be groups in your area that do the same?

    Otherwise have you spoken to your doctor/psychiatrist about what to do with surplus? You never know, they may know of ways to get the meds donated to those in need.

    5 votes

  9. 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

  10. 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.

    3 votes

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

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

    Foreigner
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    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

  15. 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

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

    Foreigner
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    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

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

    Foreigner
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    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

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

    Foreigner
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    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

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

    Foreigner
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    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