philosurfer's recent activity

  1. Advice on avoiding the hedonic treadmill of endless content?

    ~life Ask (advice)
    I have a specific ask at the end, but any and all musings on this topic are invited. Lately it's become apparent that the endless fire hose of content and subsequent extinction of boredom is one...

    I have a specific ask at the end, but any and all musings on this topic are invited.

    Lately it's become apparent that the endless fire hose of content and subsequent extinction of boredom is one of the most insidious shifts of modern life. While social media and the internet have accelerated this, upon further reflection I realize this battle to hijack our time and attention is something basically all of us were born into (and an even steeper climb for those of us blessed with ADHD).

    These reflections have been borne out of a desire to protect my toddler's curiosity and passion for life outside a black mirror for as long as I can reasonably manage.

    The issue as I see it is not the existence of content beyond what one could ever consume (books have been that way for centuries). It's the evaporation of friction. One click and you're on an infinite loop, optimized and engineered to keep you there.

    I used to think this was a symptom of the smartphone & tik-tok era. However, looking back at my own childhood TV habits, cable TV was the precursor: dozens of channels that never went dark and 24/7 news cycles that bred fear and never stopped churning.

    The ask: How have you set up an environment for your kids (or yourself!) to delay the hedonic content treadmill as long as is reasonably possible?

    The goal is to avoid a smartphone until we can't. I'm not anti-screen. There are loads of great educational TV and movies, I just want to introduce them slowly and with intention. But unfortunately now every TV front-end is ad-stuffed and every streaming app is basically a recommendation engine in disguise.

    How do you share content with your kids without letting the algorithm worm its way inside their brain? How do you give them access to the collective wisdom of mankind in the internet without turning it into a slot machine?

    55 votes

  2. Comment on What are the simple things in your life that you are thankful for? in ~life

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    So crucial, glad your daughter is healthy and thriving! It pains my heart seeing parents with children dealing with serious health issues - often something completely outside of ones control and...

    So crucial, glad your daughter is healthy and thriving!

    It pains my heart seeing parents with children dealing with serious health issues - often something completely outside of ones control and can make an already challenging task of raising a child extra straining, not to mention the mental stress.

    6 votes

  3. Comment on What are the simple things in your life that you are thankful for? in ~life

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Not corny at all, this is probably one of the best 'habits' one can develop. Lots of well-done data supports gratitude as a big component of living a happy and fulfilling life!

    Not corny at all, this is probably one of the best 'habits' one can develop. Lots of well-done data supports gratitude as a big component of living a happy and fulfilling life!

    4 votes

  6. Comment on What "one-hit wonder" do you think has a discography worth exploring? in ~music

    philosurfer
    Link Parent
    Literally the band that came into my mind as I opened up the comments. Did NOT expect to see someone else have the same suggestion!

    Literally the band that came into my mind as I opened up the comments. Did NOT expect to see someone else have the same suggestion!

    9 votes

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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.

  17. 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

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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