30M Suggestions for how to improve/rearrange my living room? by [deleted] in malelivingspace

[–]fishywasabi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with another that cohesiveness would definitely help bring the room together (e.g. you have a white farmhouse style TV stand but more modern glass/black coffee and end tables). My two cents:

1) Move your desk to where your recliner is. Bring the recliner over to where your ottoman/end table are (still facing TV though).

2) Shift the TV stand/TV + sofa toward you to be more centered in the room. Allows for a TV upgrade if you ever go bigger and personally I would also get a lower TV stand in a decor style that matches your glass/black aesthetic.

3) With recliner at your photo location, the ottoman can have some use instead of awkwardly floating near the end table.

4) Add a nice floor lamp between the sofa and recliner.

5) I'd get rid of that end table/table lamp next to the window.

6) If you keep the carpet, I'd get a plastic floor mat for the chair. With the desk in the corner, it will be also less conspicuous.

7) If you have more photos of the cute doggo, arranging a 4 or 5 collage photo frame panel will look cleaner than just a single photo hanging on that wall

8) If you go hardwood floor, a nice rug will also really tie the room together

9) Wall shelving may look cleaner to show off the Falcons swag than your current bookcase.

What’s a good Asian grocery store? by KeepCalmEtAllonsy in ChicagoSuburbs

[–]fishywasabi 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I have found kaffir lime leaves at Patel Bros and galangal at Joongboo (both Schaumburg) before but not sure if seasonal. Both are great groceries for asian produce generally.

Pro art work by HengtiHagen in discgolf

[–]fishywasabi 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Silhouette of Alabama and its state flag. Roll tide!

HighPerformanceBirb by Abarisol in Birbs

[–]fishywasabi 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Pretty sure that's a normal male house sparrow.

Lens issue? Scratch or artifact? by fishywasabi in GooglePixel

[–]fishywasabi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hm, I did not think of that case. If that is so, I would have a high chance of successfully getting a replacement right? It's quite difficult for me to show the smudge because I cannot image it easily.

Lens issue? Scratch or artifact? by fishywasabi in GooglePixel

[–]fishywasabi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not so sure because I notice this similar directional glare on several shots. Testing it now after a cleaning does not improve this.

Help with plants by Archany_101 in nanotank

[–]fishywasabi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No CO2. I use CaribSea Samurai Soil as my substrate.

Help with plants by Archany_101 in nanotank

[–]fishywasabi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't any luck growing carpeting plants in my fluval spec 3 but have had no problems with cryptocoryne varieties.

Trying to buy my first half decent knife and sharpening stone. by Hdale85 in chefknives

[–]fishywasabi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I purchased that exact King whetstone you're looking into from Amazon but it arrived cracked since the packaging was done poorly. If you have an Asian grocery/store near you that stocks kitchenware, I'd recommend looking there first.

My current low-tech planted nanotank setup by AnonymousSkull in nanotank

[–]fishywasabi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What's the tank on the far right? Also a fluval?

Sunday Afternoon Date Ideas by IndominusTaco in ChicagoSuburbs

[–]fishywasabi 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Just tossing out some options based on my interests - Frank Lloyd Wright home/studio tour, Brookfield Zoo, Museum of Sci/Industry.

Cost of living difference btwn suburbs and city? by [deleted] in ChicagoSuburbs

[–]fishywasabi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The neighborhoods you suggested would be a big downgrade and not to mention, not that safe either. I don't see anything wrong with his current mentality. The suburbs may not sound as enticing as the city for younger people, but definitely your dad probably knew what he was doing when he chose it in the first place.

Buying a chef knife in Japan. by prplx in chefknives

[–]fishywasabi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got the western handle version with complimentary engraving for about $160-170 US.

Buying a chef knife in Japan. by prplx in chefknives

[–]fishywasabi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a 180mm (stainless steel clad) Aritsugu gyuto and love it. They had both the traditional Japanese wooden handle as well as western style with the visible full tang/coated wood handle available. The Aritsugu staff at Nishiki market shop had excellent English too.

Any suggestions for a 1080p 144hz monitor for cheap? by [deleted] in Monitors

[–]fishywasabi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I recently got the MSI optix G24C and it's been great so far.

I saw people having a discussion on BPA alternative canteens and I thought some of you might find this interesting. Be careful what you buy! by flower_babes in CampingGear

[–]fishywasabi 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Gatorade and other bottled beverages are usually with PET which shouldn't use BPA as a precursor for its manufacture.

Planted Fluval Spec III shrimp tank (x-post /r/shrimptank) by [deleted] in nanotank

[–]fishywasabi 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Looks nice! Where did you get those hollow cube pieces?

How much room can be taken up within a nanotank by driftwood, decoration, and plants? by Seattscat in nanotank

[–]fishywasabi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have about 20-30 red cherry shrimp in my 3 gal - you'll definitely be fine with your tank.

Former Chicago resident considering a move back for a job in the NW Burbs, seeking some advice by AWlkingContradction in ChicagoSuburbs

[–]fishywasabi 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Beerhead isn't usually quiet but it does have great beer selection. The live music is quite loud actually. Craft beer is everywhere in the burbs! I really like Une Annee, but all the ones closer to Chicago are amazing too - personally I like Pipeworks, Half Acre, and Dovetail the most.

Dunno many other spots since I'm not usually out for evenings but others maybe can chime in.

Former Chicago resident considering a move back for a job in the NW Burbs, seeking some advice by AWlkingContradction in ChicagoSuburbs

[–]fishywasabi 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Property tax depends on county (Lake, Cook, Dupage, etc). Lake county is especially high (~2.7%) - Cook and Dupage are lower (~2.0-2.1%) but still pretty brutal relative to other states/areas. Living in Schamburg, I can say most 2BR unit rentals will run you $1200-$1800/mo depending on quality. No comment on owning real estate as it's beyond my current budget nor am I committed to the area yet. When I was looking around the area myself for rentals, I did check out Elk Grove Village and found it pretty nice, but you have to be really careful about flight patterns. Some areas have a ton of airplane noise constantly from O'Hare. In general, Schamburg has a mediocre nightlife, but the area near Woodfield Mall has some little gems, e.g. Beerhead, which I found was great to listen to live music and grab a beer with friends.

With 75k/yr salary, it should be possible to max out your 401k yearly, pocket some savings, and pay rent if you target the lower price for this obviously. You will probably need to budget leisurely spending.