philosurfer's recent activity

  1. Reading advice for new parents?

    ~life Ask (advice)
    We found out recently that we are expecting an addition to our family and are incredibly excited! It's still early on so we are not trying to get overly excited knowing that things can happen in...

    We found out recently that we are expecting an addition to our family and are incredibly excited! It's still early on so we are not trying to get overly excited knowing that things can happen in the first trimester, but would like to begin educating ourselves on the pregnancy process and parenting.

    Am curious and would love to hear from everyone what resources they found most helpful on these subjects. Pros for evidence based sources that manage to not be overly dry. Send me what you got! Any general advice you have would also be greatly appreciated :)

    14 votes

  2. Can someone recommend me a great bluetooth keyboard for my home office?

    ~tech Ask (recommendations)
    Looking for a good wireless (probably bluetooth, but happy to hear if something other than bluetooth is recommended for a good reason) keyboard to use with my home laptop/dock setup. I've ben...

    Looking for a good wireless (probably bluetooth, but happy to hear if something other than bluetooth is recommended for a good reason) keyboard to use with my home laptop/dock setup.

    I've ben using my laptop's keyboard while plugged into my dock which is probably less than ideal ergonomic-wise and am looking to improve things.

    I don't need to be a fullsize or compact keyboard - I think my sweet spot would be middle size with a number pad. I'm somewhat aware of mechanical keyboards but will admit my complete ignorance as to their benefits (other than sounding nice when you type?) and so am open to those if there are more tangible benefits that I'm just totally ignorant about. Battery life would be important as charging it constantly could get a bit annoying.

    Appreciate any input you all have!

    25 votes

  3. Comment on What would you like to see in your dream food blog? in ~food

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Awesome suggestions! I am US based but also convert everything to metric because the imperial measurement system is nonsense so I will definitely do that!

    Awesome suggestions! I am US based but also convert everything to metric because the imperial measurement system is nonsense so I will definitely do that!

    1 vote

  4. Comment on What would you like to see in your dream food blog? in ~food

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Thanks for those suggestions, those are wonderful! I totally agree with you as well, I am a bit anti sweets and also desire to focus on healthier recipes (particularly since I have a...

    Thanks for those suggestions, those are wonderful! I totally agree with you as well, I am a bit anti sweets and also desire to focus on healthier recipes (particularly since I have a medical/nutrition background).

    Briefly perused your blog, it looks awesome!

    2 votes

  5. Comment on What would you like to see in your dream food blog? in ~food

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Completely agree with you there!

    Completely agree with you there!

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Looking for your best men’s pants/trousers recommendations! in ~life.style

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Oh these look very interesting! Absolutely what I was looking for: synthetic stretchy material with a clean/professional cut/styling. Thanks for sharing!

    Oh these look very interesting! Absolutely what I was looking for: synthetic stretchy material with a clean/professional cut/styling. Thanks for sharing!

    2 votes

  7. Comment on Looking for your best men’s pants/trousers recommendations! in ~life.style

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Pants/trousers so American English. Not underpants :). I should have been more clear!

    Pants/trousers so American English. Not underpants :). I should have been more clear!

    3 votes

  8. What would you like to see in your dream food blog?

    ~food Ask (survey)
    I am in the process of starting up my own food blog. I have no hopes or aspirations of being huge or making money, it will solely be a labor of love and an outlet for my love of food to share with...

    I am in the process of starting up my own food blog. I have no hopes or aspirations of being huge or making money, it will solely be a labor of love and an outlet for my love of food to share with the world.

    Unfortunately, I don’t have a specific niche that will be targeting and was looking to crowd source opinions on what people would feel they would like in a food blog. I’m hoping to avoid suggestions like “less convoluted stories about your grandmothers tablecloth for 3 pages before the recipe” since I think we can all agree on that front.

    Some of you may be thinking the world needs another blog like you need another asshole, and that may be true. However, part of my impetus was that many of the recipe blogs I find online have the same generic 30-40 recipes with minimal variation. Others of higher quality are moving behind paywalls. My goal is to try to include slightly more obscure recipes from all over the world, tried/tested/optimized for simplicity in cooking and flavor, or more unique variations on more common recipes. I also aspire to do some articles a bit more experimental / scientific in nature in the vein of some of J Kenji Lopez Alts articles a la serious eats but that is a larger aspiration for down the road.

    I welcome any suggestions or sharing of your current favorite food blogs. I know the current social media trend is YouTube, TikTok, and the like. However as I find myself here with you all, you may understand my preference for sticking with the written word (and occasional photos). Cheers!

    13 votes

  9. Looking for your best men’s pants/trousers recommendations!

    ~life.style Ask (recommendations)
    I am a huge fan of Prana pants, they are made of synthetic materials, stretchy and comfortable, light and dry quickly, and I have found them perfect for travel, hiking, lounging, etc....

    I am a huge fan of Prana pants, they are made of synthetic materials, stretchy and comfortable, light and dry quickly, and I have found them perfect for travel, hiking, lounging, etc.

    Unfortunately they have discontinued my favorite models that looked more “professional” like chinos and thus could double for work, travel, date nights, etc. Their current models, while comfortable, all sort of look like hiking pants and don’t have an aesthetic I appreciate.

    With that in mind, I was curious if anyone could provide me with recommendations for professional looking pants with similar attributes as those above that you’ve found to be comfortable and multi purpose. Thank you!

    36 votes

  10. Comment on Does anyone read a weekly printed news publication? If so, which and why? in ~talk

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    I'm going to agree with the other commenters. I have long heard The Economist held high as the pinnacle of journalism, and after subscribing for a few years in the past found anything but the...

    I'm going to agree with the other commenters.

    I have long heard The Economist held high as the pinnacle of journalism, and after subscribing for a few years in the past found anything but the opposite.

    I think the majority of their articles are actually quite shallow, and as the others pointed out, when evaluated by someone with a deep knowledge on a particular topic that shallowness is quite apparent. Moreover, when I read journals of that sort (and I know it's not their primary aim), but I'm looking for high quality writers and writing, and am usually quite disappointed in that regard as well.

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Does anyone read a weekly printed news publication? If so, which and why? in ~talk

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    I think that's a fair issue. I have at times had similar problems -- nowadays I'm a digital subscriber and just read whatever long form articles spark my interest on their website. That's felt...

    I think that's a fair issue. I have at times had similar problems -- nowadays I'm a digital subscriber and just read whatever long form articles spark my interest on their website. That's felt more manageable and I don't have piles of half read New Yorkers lying around anymore.

    I do miss the physical copies though, the cover art was usually incredible.

  12. Comment on Does anyone read a weekly printed news publication? If so, which and why? in ~talk

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Agree with what the others said -- it has some NY-centric short form things, but the majority of their most valuable and interesting articles are much broader than NY or the US. Some of the best...

    Agree with what the others said -- it has some NY-centric short form things, but the majority of their most valuable and interesting articles are much broader than NY or the US. Some of the best writers in the world author many of their pieces.

    2 votes

  13. Comment on Does anyone read a weekly printed news publication? If so, which and why? in ~talk

    philosurfer
    Link
    Huge fan of The New Yorker. The price has gone up steadily over the years, but it's the one publication I still subscribe to, and love. The longform articles and in depth reporting have ruined me...

    Huge fan of The New Yorker. The price has gone up steadily over the years, but it's the one publication I still subscribe to, and love. The longform articles and in depth reporting have ruined me for most every other news source. Hope they continue to thrive and put out the quality that they have been for decades.

    18 votes

  14. Tips and tricks for remaining scheduled and motivated with unscheduled time?

    ~creative Ask (recommendations)
    I've always had a fairly structured routine life (clock in/out of work) and am able to stick to deadlines/routine in this format. There are only a few times in my life when I have more...

    I've always had a fairly structured routine life (clock in/out of work) and am able to stick to deadlines/routine in this format. There are only a few times in my life when I have more unstructured time and have to self-employ deadlines and things tend to fall apart during those instances (staying up late wasting time -> wake up late -> vicious cycle). I find when I'm held accountable to others (eg showing up for an appointment or a start time for work), things go fine, but when I'm only accountable to myself things tend to fall apart fairly quickly.

    I'm sure many of you have jobs / hobbies where you work remotely and have to come up with your own schedules and am wondering what tips and tricks you've accumulated from your experiences that you would be willing to share that have been helpful for you to accomplish your goals?

    I have a few months of free time coming up, and am hoping to make the most of it to improve my personal / professional life and make progress on my own personal projects/hobbies.

    Some tips / tricks that I will be employing that have been somewhat helpful in the past:

    • Creating a schedule for myself at least a day ahead
    • Using time-blocking websites to block or temporize access to certain websites (I like coldturkey for PC)
    • Minimizing distractions (putting phone on do not disturb / airplane mode), working in a quiet environment

    Interested in what tactics you have all successfully employed in your own lives!

    20 votes

  15. Comment on For those who deal with hypoglycemia, do you have any advice for dealing with fatigue after a bad low? in ~health

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Glad this has been somewhat helpful. I do think the key to managing your issues will be simply from preventing the degree of hypoglycemia from causing your symptoms in the first place will be key...

    Glad this has been somewhat helpful. I do think the key to managing your issues will be simply from preventing the degree of hypoglycemia from causing your symptoms in the first place will be key and nutrition would potentially be a big part of it (in addition to nailing down the etiology and treating any underlying conditions, of which it seems your providers think malnutrition is the primary driver).

    I think the liver thing is unlikely, but it's primarily from impaired gluconeogenesis from significant liver dysfunction. Significant kidney dysfunction can impair gluconeogenesis as well, but this would be ruled out with a normal creatinine on your basic metabolic panel. Again, the degree of dysfunction would have to be pretty severe, so I think it's unlikely you or your team would be unaware of this (it would not be subtle), but could be worth bringing up.

    I would strongly advocate to your endocrinologist, and have them also advocate on your behalf, for a CGM. This would be an invaluable tool and think that recurrent symptomatic episodes of hypoglycemia would be a reasonable counter-argument to whatever insurance company is blocking approval. Again, if you're able to identify and address the hypoglycemia before you develop symptoms than this would be key in addressing the symptom fallout. Good luck!

    1 vote

  16. Comment on For those who deal with hypoglycemia, do you have any advice for dealing with fatigue after a bad low? in ~health

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    I'm assuming you've been worked up for / evaluated for significant liver disease? Sometimes this can impact / lead to issues with hypoglycemia, though typically in extreme situations so it's not...

    I'm assuming you've been worked up for / evaluated for significant liver disease? Sometimes this can impact / lead to issues with hypoglycemia, though typically in extreme situations so it's not typically subtle.

    Yeah agreed, the product I linked may not be the best answer but will hopefully lead you and your medical team to finding the best long-term solution for you. I'm assuming you have a continuous glucose monitor? You could potentially trial some various strategies / starch products and see what helps stabilize your levels the most.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on For those who deal with hypoglycemia, do you have any advice for dealing with fatigue after a bad low? in ~health

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Very interesting, thanks for sharing that. Yeah, sounds like a very puzzling situation. I wouldn't lose out hope on things improving with gaining weight, hopefully that will provide some benefits....

    Very interesting, thanks for sharing that. Yeah, sounds like a very puzzling situation. I wouldn't lose out hope on things improving with gaining weight, hopefully that will provide some benefits.

    There's a product that could potentially be helpful - https://ucan.co/livsteady/

    I'd of course discuss it with your doctors, but it's a long-acting starch compound that was originally developed for some individuals with genetic diseases. I wonder if something like this could be helpful. It may be cost prohibitive to use regularly, but hopefully this may be of some interest. Best of luck.

    4 votes

  18. Comment on For those who deal with hypoglycemia, do you have any advice for dealing with fatigue after a bad low? in ~health

    philosurfer
    Link
    It seems you are being appropriately worked up / managed by an endocrinologist, so feel free to only reply if you feel comfortable sharing, but I'm curious as to what is the etiology of you having...

    It seems you are being appropriately worked up / managed by an endocrinologist, so feel free to only reply if you feel comfortable sharing, but I'm curious as to what is the etiology of you having hypoglycemia a few times a day? Outside of significant adrenal insufficiency, exogenous insulin/medicines, or a tumor (insulinoma) I'm wondering what would cause you to experience this with such complications?

    4 votes

  19. Self-hosters! Share your reasons for self-hosting and favorite apps!

    ~comp Ask (survey)
    Self-hosting has been a rabbit hole of wonder that I've explored and delved into over these past few months. I'm curious to hear what others use it for, what apps they love, and their rationale...

    Self-hosting has been a rabbit hole of wonder that I've explored and delved into over these past few months. I'm curious to hear what others use it for, what apps they love, and their rationale for doing so?

    I'll go first.

    First, in terms of rationale, this is a wonderful article that I think is worth checking out that encapsulates much my of ethos about pursuing self-hosting.

    https://kylechayka.substack.com/p/essay-the-digital-death-of-collecting

    The TL;DR is that we no longer have control over the things that we 'own' digitally for these massive cloud companies. For instance the songs / artists you listen to on Spotify may suddenly and unexpectedly become unavailable, certain things (most recently podcasts) may be forced upon you in unpleasant ways. Having complete control of your digital data is a very liberating feeling.

    In terms of apps:

    Hyperbackup - I use a synology NAS, so hyperbackup has been wonderful and use both external HD's and a cloud interface to create encrypted backups of everything which gives me peace of mind.

    Plex - One of my most used apps, being able to stream anything remotely has been a dream. Plexamp has given me back control of my music library in a way I never thought I would have.

    Tautulli - Great for more informatics on my plex usage

    Calibre / Calibreweb - Phenomenal for keeping track of my book collections

    PiHole - Ads be gone!

    *Arr apps - Specifically Sonarr/Prowlarr/Radarr, really like Overseerr for an interface tying everything together

    Daily Notes - A clean interface for keeping regular notes

    Some things that I'm not currently self-hosting but would love to hear if others are using alternatives...

    Instapaper - I know there are a few similar FOSS apps out there but haven't found one as convenient and well laid out

    TickTick - To do app, but similarly haven't found a FOSS alternative that was as robust and nice to use

    OneNote

    86 votes