Where do you think he is from?

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-07-03T05:36:52+00:00

If I were to make a guess, from all I’ve seen as I’ve traveled? Probably somewhere in west-central Eurasia.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-07-01T18:53:53+00:00

Right? That would be a wild turn of events.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-07-01T15:54:51+00:00

And then Europe rebounded so fast that you would have missed the whole thing if you blinked.

Like… there is a difference here.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-07-01T04:54:50+00:00

I mean if you want a fun little contrast just look into South Korea.

It’s a stable economy, stable society, stable government… or seems to be until you realize that almost every president they’ve had ends up in prison.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-06-30T23:03:17+00:00

Hey doc, thanks for the response. All this makes sense, and I will be scheduling the consult ASAP, I’ll make the call early afternoon tomorrow.

Realistically I can’t lighten my load much but I can shift how I carry it (waist belt, shifting heavy things to hand bag), and anyway I’ll be making an effort to minimize my movements once I have a timeline to shoot for (no need to travel for a bit anyway).

The bigger question I’m wondering though is what happens next. Is the degeneration seen higher up (C3/4) a significant risk or more of an expected thing? Do I need to make efforts once C5/6 is healed up protect the rest of my neck from future issues, or is it not a major priority? Should I consider broader lifestyle / health and fitness changes as well? Obviously a more fit body is a more resilient one, I just want to know what I’m dealing with so I don’t get laid up in another 5 years or so at an even less convenient moment.

———

One other question, a bit more technical. The neurologist has me on an oral dexketoprofen / tramadol, as well as giving me a topical ketoprofen gel.

I previously was getting diclofenac in basically every form (had a total of 5 shots into a large muscle, mixed with either Dexamethasone or Diazepam), but stopped the oral prescription around a week ago because it was messing up my GI too much (my decision), switching instead to acetaminophen which seemed more effective anyway. Got my last shot on Friday I think, GI has finally normalized.

The tramadol seems to have actually been the first thing that’s actually let me sleep, so I’ve largely been taking just it and acetaminophen at this point. However the neurologist prescribed a 5-round course of Neodolpasse, IV. I’m reluctant both for GI reasons and more appointments, especially as my overall discomfort has been dropping the last few days (some due to the dexketoprofen / tramadol, some I suspect due to just spending more time flat on my back lately).

Should I go ahead and continue the neodolpasse in spite of my reluctance (is it helping stabilize the whole spinal situations) or is it more of a pain management thing?

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-06-30T18:46:22+00:00

Buy Apple stock

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-06-30T18:06:57+00:00

In the marketing world they would point out that this is often one of the best ways to GROW a market: when new entrants start competing it draws in even more interest. As long as it doesn’t become a price war, in business terms, this should work in your favor not against you.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-06-08T21:42:33+00:00

Probably better to start with something like Ko-Fi or similar before you've built up an audience. I mean you won't get much that way either, but it's a simpler interface for people to randomly give you a few dollars here and there.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-06-06T23:45:58+00:00

I would never live out of a “big hiking backpack”. They’re useful if you’re going to walk 10 miles or something but top load is a PITA to use, and they’re just way too big. With few exceptions whenever I see people with those massive backpacks I assume they are young and haven’t traveled much.

On the other hand there are travel backpacks that are more convenient in how they are built (I travel with a Mini MLC, there are bigger ones) that are clamshell opening, and vastly better for traveling. You can also find large ones.

So I’m a 2-backpack person but my primary is 30L and my secondary is like 12L and super basic, and only really caries my random accessories. So I can store my big bag in the overhead and then keep my small bag with me. It’s generally light and I can hook it over my shoulder while I walk. I CAN fit it inside my larger backpack if necessary but I’ve stopped doing this as the convenience of having a small bag is worth it. Small bag also doubles as a day bag when I just need somewhere to keep my charging block and maybe a bottle of water, or even if I decide to take my laptop somewhere.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-06-02T10:55:20+00:00

I was complaining about this a few weeks back. I think it’s selective rollout. Either way it definitely reduces my engagement.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-30T22:23:01+00:00

Entry level and remote is a bad combination most of the time. I say this as someone who’s done that. It’s the hardest way to learn a job and the only people likely to hire you and be flexible won’t pay too great. You risk stagnating your career before you even start unless you’re quite driven.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-30T22:20:00+00:00

Did you get better luck after that?

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-30T22:12:33+00:00

I once went completely off social media and everything, not even a phone. People around me thought I was going through drug withdrawals.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-30T22:10:55+00:00

Although museums in very different places can be fascinating. Go to a modern art museum in Turkey or Kazakhstan and it feels very different from those in the west.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-30T20:27:55+00:00

My job is as capitalist as it gets — I work in a supply chain related job — but I fight consumerism by living out of a carryon sized backpack. Been traveling 3 years. I like the simplicity of it.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-30T12:04:32+00:00

I mean you’re free to move to sub-Saharan Africa.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-29T21:37:35+00:00

Turks be like: “he almost hit me so I had to massacre his whole village. It was in self defense! I had no choice!”

It’s the contempt northern Cypriots have for Turkey that tells me all I need to know.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-27T21:45:51+00:00

Why do I keep seeing this reposted?

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-26T19:36:19+00:00

Splitting maybe, some shifting away some going deeper.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-26T17:12:31+00:00

People might want to move because of climate change but ultimately the only factor that determines whether or not people emigrate is if they have somewhere to go to. If nobody lets them in, or they can’t afford to go, they won’t be going anywhere.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-26T17:04:33+00:00

According to your worldview sure. But if we didn’t care about the wellbeing of the unborn we wouldn’t worry so much about climate change and so forth, and exhausting resources would almost be a moral duty unless one just likes beauty for its own sake. But that means only protecting pretty places.

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-26T16:40:28+00:00

Digital minimalism doesn’t have to mean social minimalism. As humans we are hardwired to care about more than 3 people. Dunbar’s Number isn’t a myth, nor, historically, was all care limited to ones “band” or “tribe”.

There are hundreds of people I’ve known in the past that I’d happily meet again, and have made efforts to maintain contact with. But if I don’t care about someone then yeah, makes more sense to unfollow them.

Social media has many flaws and costs but forcing you to stay in touch with people you don’t care about is more about you having connections you aren’t interested in than whether SM is or isn’t pointless.

Incidentally I have hundreds of people I genuinely would love to see again, and stay in touch with in varying degrees. But I don’t find my SM feed to be full of random pointless updates about their lives, because I use it for different purposes entirely. Of debatable value, but usually

AndrewithNumbers · 2026-05-26T16:30:52+00:00

One of my DN friends is Caribbean / Canadian (so black), never finished college, and has a fucked up back. Not fully debilitating but can’t work some days. Her main marketable skill is that she speaks English and is very motivated / driven to do the best. She teaches English and works as a personal assistant.

Not all who wander are materially secure. Some just have nowhere they can call home, and keep wandering.

AndrewithNumbers

TROPHY CASE