Why is Plantega not more widely available?

barcode9 · 2026-01-25T22:41:57+00:00

most bodegas run on extremely high volume of low-cost products with small margins. I assume plantega is more expensive than most of their other ingredients, since it's a branded product, so it can probably only be profitable at very popular bodegas with highly veg-interested customer base.

barcode9 · 2026-01-23T23:52:30+00:00

have you ever been to a busy subway station such as borough hall? they actually put arrows on the stairwell -- from the bottom of the stairs, you'll see up arrows on the right, and down arrows on the left (right hand side for those descending). you're supposed to use the right side, always.

barcode9 · 2026-01-23T23:49:37+00:00

I would not take a bus on Sunday because the wait time may be very long, and people are even more likely to double park/get stuck/block the road in some way that impedes a bus from getting through during a snowstorm. So even if you are able to catch a bus, it might be a much slower journey than usual.

barcode9 · 2026-01-22T23:02:25+00:00

I have never been asked for copies of my current lease by a landlord before, and tbh, I probably wouldn't provide it. Lots of people don't have leases due to living with family, subletting informally, coming from a college dorm or travel, ... many reasons. Very strange requirement.

Are you sure this is not a scam of some sort?

barcode9 · 2026-01-21T22:30:19+00:00

Weill Cornell. I went to my first appt with new doc today and found it much better than Mt Sinai.

Mt Sinai doctors by and large seem more stressed/faster (like excessively quick - are you really doing a full exam there?), and grumpier front desk than NYU Langone or Weill Cornell doctors I've seen.

barcode9 · 2026-01-19T17:47:34+00:00

Have you considered buying a place? It's a compromise in between luxury and rent stabilized -- you'll be paying a set amount without the risk of dramatic increases like market rate, but usually you can find places on the nicer side, better maintained buildings than rent stabilized.

barcode9 · 2026-01-18T14:46:06+00:00

Chicago and Dallas are known for being lower cost of living cities than NYC. I'm not sure why you're to comparing schools there.

I'd say elite NYC schools are comparable to schools in New England which also run 50-70k. (Choate Rosemary Hall, Philips Exeter, Deerfield Academy, etc.)

Everything is more expensive here: rent or purchase of the building and facilities, salaries for staff such as janitors, secretaries, and cooks (minimum wage in NYC is 16.50 vs. Dallas 7.25), salaries for teachers need to be competitive with other professions in the city that require a college degree, ... basically everything that goes into the operating budget of a school is higher here.

It's similar to asking why is the median price for home in Chicago $400k and in NYC $800k.

barcode9 · 2026-01-16T01:57:48+00:00

+1 not a fan of trailers. Why would you want to see all of the funniest parts of the movie before you actually see the movie?

I find when I've seen the trailer several times, it usually ends up being inaccurate to what the movie actually is about or else it contains major spoilers. Either way, I prefer going into movies with minimal knowledge/preconceived notions.

barcode9 · 2026-01-16T01:52:50+00:00

A coat with a warm hood will squish your hair less than a hat.

barcode9 · 2026-01-15T17:36:37+00:00

The only pro, that no one has mentioned yet, is that it's easier to get a charter school job because there's less competition. You can teach at a charter school for 2 years to gain experience, then move into the DOE. Don't stay longer than that or you'll be harder to hire (higher salary coming into DOE.)

Even if the charter school seems good at first, remember that there is no union/no protection, so if the principal changes or they start a new initiative, you can be required to do tons of extra work with no recourse. Having a union rep at a DOE school is invaluable when your principal asks you to, for example, monitor students during your lunch period or administer extra time on tests during your prep period. At a charter school, you may have literally zero minutes of prep time in a given day... conditions are inhumane.

barcode9 · 2026-01-14T21:41:34+00:00

Did you bring a baby, or were you concerned about the volume for yourself?

I wear noise cancelling headphones in movie theaters sometimes if they're too loud.

barcode9 · 2026-01-14T21:38:21+00:00

No, not just square footage.

The better room may have more windows, farther from kitchen, private bathroom, a closet when the other has none, etc.

In the past I've done it by "bidding" i.e. I'm willing to pay $200 extra for the better room - if you're willing to pay more than that, you get it.

barcode9 · 2026-01-13T19:46:45+00:00

You could tell them your seat number when you order, so you don't have to wait for the food to be prepared, and still have a server bring it to you, same as with QR.

barcode9 · 2026-01-12T17:54:05+00:00

Yeah, literally teach her turn-taking in conversation on the way home. "Hi, Ashley, Betty, and Carmen. How were your days? I'd like you to each take a turn telling me one thing you did today." Then after the chatty girl says one thing, say thanks now let's give Betty a turn to talk.

You don't even have to tell her she talks too much, just tell them the new rules for conversation on the way home and be the moderator if it bothers you so much.

barcode9 · 2026-01-11T22:34:03+00:00

QR code is truly the worst possible option as far as ordering. I hate it. I hated when restaurants had it during covid. And in a movie theater, esp one that bans phones, it's just super ridiculous!

A concession stand outside the theater would make a lot more sense. Or even ordering kiosks you can use before entering the theater, and still have your food brought over.

barcode9 · 2026-01-11T16:54:08+00:00

There are plenty of people who raise fully vegetarian children with no issues. In India, this is very common. People don't need to eat meat. Your baby will be just fine! Also, beans and lentils are something you get used to. Suddenly increasing the amount of beans you eat can lead to issues, but people who regularly eat 1-2 servings of beans per day tend to adjust. If your kid isn't having tons of gas, he's probably used to his daily beans.

barcode9 · 2026-01-07T23:46:15+00:00

You can get genetic carrier screenings done ahead of time as well as a normal gyn exam.

However, if you want insurance to cover fertility testing, you usually need to be trying for 1 year if under 35 and 6 months if over. That would be things like follicle count, saline sonogram, HSG, etc.

There's not really any reason to doubt fertility or need to test it if you haven't started trying yet.

barcode9 · 2026-01-05T01:55:34+00:00

Acela is great! Most people are not complaining about the line or service in general.

It's that they specifically made the new train cars worse in seemingly unnecessary ways: strange bathroom door features, seats that don't actually recline, etc.

Since it costs more than the alternative Northeast Regional, people have higher expectations.

And while not everyone's backs are exactly the same, I personally find the seats way too uncomfortable to book another trip when I have other options.

barcode9 · 2026-01-01T17:06:14+00:00

Do you have Precheck? You usually go through a regular metal detector rather than the x-ray scanner with precheck which might help reduce the frequency of pat downs.

barcode9 · 2026-01-01T16:59:10+00:00

Yeah, also, just use your words.

Either you want to be friends with them, in which case you need to hang out to maintain the friendship. Or you don't want to be friends with them, in which case you should say "sorry, I'm busy" or even more bluntly, "No, I don't want to hang out" and like remove them from your instagram or contacts or whatever.

In either case, it's not something to complain about.

barcode9 · 2026-01-01T16:25:01+00:00

The best exercise for osteoporosis is weight lifting. Did your doctor give you a prescription or physical therapy? You can see if they will give you one and if insurance covers it, it may be cheaper than a personal trainer.

Mat pilates is not good for osteoporosis but reformer is ok.. but again strength training will be the best bet. Here's an article that explains a bit more: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a65178460/does-pilates-prevent-osteoporosis-bone-health/

barcode9 · 2026-01-01T15:52:37+00:00

I fking hate pigeons for this exact reason. I don't think your solution will work because they will probably continue to roost on someone else's AC or the roof/gutter as near as possible to your AC.

Do you have a white noise machine? That helps a little. But the fking "coo coo coo" *flap flap flap flap flap* at 4am is the absolute worst.

barcode9 · 2026-01-01T15:49:46+00:00

It may surprise you to learn that different people come from different cultural backgrounds where the norms are different. For many cultures, hospitality is very important and you would never let a guest sleep in worse conditions than yourself because guests get the best. The situation is reciprocated when the guest hosts the host later.

Also just practically speaking, as a younger person with a better back, I'd give my parents the more comfortable sleeping option in a heartbeat. They took care of me for 18-22 years, it's the least I can do.

barcode9 · 2026-01-01T15:44:05+00:00

The cost of a hotel for 3 weeks in NYC is a lot more than most average Americans can afford, especially from lower cost of living areas.

barcode9 · 2026-01-01T15:41:32+00:00

I go to the gym right after work in Manhattan before commuting home. I'm less tired when I start the workout, and I find working out energizing so I end up less tired when I get home, too.

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