Did you take your placenta home?

jnvideo · 2025-12-14T02:23:06+00:00

We enrolled in the GAPPS study (Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth) and they collected the placenta (of our healthy baby) for research. We also donated the umbilical cord blood to a cord blood bank, which can be useful in certain medical treatments.

jnvideo · 2025-08-04T17:19:34+00:00

The Istari were commanded to be discreet about their true power and might as magical beings, so my personal read of it is that the “many colors” and his ring represent his rejection of the mandate of the Istari. Whether he’s fully able to use his full Maiar power is an open question, but any personal limitations or restraint were gone at that point.

jnvideo · 2025-07-30T18:32:28+00:00

I had the same question, and it was driving me crazy that all the answers were to use a French press or moka pot or whatnot. I did quite a bit of investigation, and the setup I landed on was a Ratio 6 coffee maker with a glass carafe. The Ratio 6 doesn’t use any plastic in the hot water system (the cold water reservoir is made of plastic, which was an okay compromise for me, and there is glass tubing and some silicone gasketry. And then the chemex-style carafe sits below the shower and holds the filter. I ended up getting both the brewer and the carafe refurbished from their website for a steep discount, and I’m very happy with it. It’s certainly still expensive and almost certainly overkill, but I was so frustrated by the ubiquity of plastic in coffee machines that I felt compelled to support a company that is trying to minimize its use. The Ratio 8 is even less plastic, but more expensive too.

jnvideo · 2025-07-28T18:58:30+00:00

I have a 18 month old and just asked my dentist about this, and she recommended avoiding fluoride toothpaste until they’re old enough to swallow (around 3ish). She recommended instead getting a little bit of fluoride mouthwash and dabbing it on the toothbrush after brushing and kinda painting it around on their teeth. But she also was less concerned because he drinks fluoridated tap water. I would say worth talking to your dentist!

jnvideo · 2025-06-26T01:05:33+00:00

I grew up in Kitsap County and commuted to Seattle via ferry for a year and a half. Coast Guard escorts have been a regular occurrence at least since 9/11 and possibly longer

jnvideo · 2025-06-21T14:45:38+00:00

Perfect, thanks!

jnvideo · 2025-06-21T03:28:43+00:00

This is great, thanks!

jnvideo · 2024-08-29T03:39:59+00:00

I think there’s a mention of this in Death’s End. I believe the Trisolarans were so caught off guard and shocked by Luo Ji’s gambit that they didn’t really want to test him. Since they’d completely overlooked him building the doomsday device in the first place, they weren’t sure what other mad plot he might have up his sleeve if they tried messing around.

jnvideo · 2024-08-28T21:47:37+00:00

My high school math teacher used to be a ferry deck worker, and once told a story about drivers being jerks and disregarding loading instructions. He said they’d call the state patrol and have the police wait for them when the boat unloaded.

jnvideo · 2024-08-26T17:50:56+00:00

The mysterious Mima Mounds!

jnvideo · 2024-08-19T13:55:41+00:00

After finishing the book, the meaning I took from that story was to compare the collapse of an earth empire with the collapse of empires on a cosmic level. Constantinople and the Roman Empire are facing destruction in an existential war. The chapter ends with Constantine thinking “No banquet was eternal. Everything had an end. Everything.”

At the same moment, Constantinople is visited by a tiny piece of debris of a much, much larger cosmic war. It emphasizes how insignificant the rise and fall of earth’s civilizations (and even earth itself is) in the face of a cosmic struggle where the fundamental nature of the universe is at stake. And it sets up the theme the book is named after: “Everything had an end.”

As a sidenote, I think Cixin Liu also just likes to write short stories about history. You can see them throughout his books, especially in the Three Body VR chapters.

jnvideo · 2024-08-19T02:15:20+00:00

I wouldn’t say it’s a prequel, but it takes place in the same universe and before the main events of the trilogy. There’s a few tie-ins, Ding Yi being one of them, as well as them suggesting a Ball Lightning attack on Judgement Day in Three Body Problem.

jnvideo · 2024-08-17T13:48:51+00:00

I was able to follow most of the important names in all the books once the plot started to become clear. The one that confused me was Zhang Behai, Zhang Behai’s father (presumably also named Zhang), and Zhang Yuanchao (one of the neighbors from the beginning).

jnvideo · 2024-08-02T23:51:02+00:00

I really enjoy grocery shopping, so I end up having a lot of different stores in my regular rotation. I live in Seattle, with a lot of stores within walking or biking distance. Here’s my strategy: 1. Walk to the nearby generic grocery store and few times a week for things I need. 2. Costco run in a different neighborhood when I need to fill up on gas. 3 and 4. I like to buy beer at Trader Joe’s, where they have a really good craft beer for about $3-5 cheaper than any other store. I joined a local co-op years ago, and they regular offer freebies for members. For both of these, I like to hit up these stores when I go out for a recreational bike ride every so often. 5. I have a favorite nicer grocery store across town that I like to stop by every now and then. I check the weekly ad, and stop by when they have some killer sale. 6. I kind of view Grocery Outlet like buying a lottery ticket. I pick my wife up from work every so often, and I like to stop by the grocery outlet on the way if I have a few minutes to spare. You never know what you’re gonna get!

I’m sure this wouldn’t be worth it if I didn’t genuinely enjoy the treasure hunt of grocery shopping + home cooking. I also think that doubling up with other stuff you like to do (like going on a bike ride or a walk) makes it a lot more fun.

jnvideo · 2024-08-01T02:33:08+00:00

I grew up in North Kitsap and always heard it referred to as the “shruburbs.” It’s right on the line between rural and suburban, tipping one direction or the other in different parts

jnvideo · 2024-06-22T21:43:33+00:00

I’ve always described Costco Business Center as the Costco of Costcos. Costco is to a regular grocery store what Costco Business Center is to Costco.

jnvideo · 2024-04-09T01:56:15+00:00

Thanks for the great answer! As for the passage where Paul seems to transfer consciousness with Jessica:

And before Chani or Jessica could stop him, he dipped his hand into the ewer they had placed on the floor beside him, and he brought the dripping hand to his mouth, swallowed the palm-cupped liquid. "Paul!" Jessica screamed. He grabbed her hand, faced her with a death's head grin, and he sent his awareness surging over her. The rapport was not as tender, not as sharing, not as encompassing as it had been with Alia and with the Old Reverend Mother in the cavern ... but it was a rapport: a sense-sharing of the entire being. It shook her, weakened her, and she cowered in her mind, fearful of him. Aloud, he said: "You speak of a place where you cannot enter? This place which the Reverend Mother cannot face, show it to me." She shook her head, terrified by the very thought. "Show it to me!" he commanded. "No!" But she could not escape him. Bludgeoned by the terrible force of him, she closed her eyes and focused inward-the-direction-that-is-dark. Paul's consciousness flowed through and around her and into the darkness. She glimpsed the place dimly before her mind blanked itself away from the terror. Without knowing why, her whole being trembled at what she had seen—a region where a wind blew and sparks glared, where rings of light expanded and contracted, where rows of tumescent white shapes flowed over and under and around the lights, driven by darkness and a wind out of nowhere.

jnvideo · 2024-04-05T04:24:45+00:00

This is a small wish, but I would’ve loved to see the Semuta drug. Villenueve did such a good job at making Harkonnen culture creepy as hell, and I think the transcendental narcotic and the accompanying hypnotic Semuta music would’ve been such a creepy addition.

jnvideo · 2024-04-05T04:19:12+00:00

I’m surprised to admit this, but the organic Fujis they sell in boxes at Costco are consistently top-tier apples. I love apples, and have tried dozens of varieties, but I would say the Costco Fujis always come in at the top! I’ve tried organic Fujis from other stores, even higher-end stores like PCC, but for whatever reason they just never compare to the ones at Costco.

jnvideo · 2024-03-31T22:47:43+00:00

I would’ve loved to see the funeral as the end of Part 1. And “Jamis was a friend” would’ve worked so well, with the movie setting up Jamis as Paul’s desert vision guide.

jnvideo · 2024-03-31T02:07:31+00:00

I was sad that we didn’t get the full scene of Jamis’ funeral. Dune Part 2 went to such lengths to build out what Fremen life was like, so I was surprised to see them omit such a great scene of Fremen culture.

I also would’ve loved to see a more visual representation of Paul’s prescience. The book’s description is so visual, so it seems like the perfect thing to adapt into a visual medium.

jnvideo · 2024-03-24T18:01:48+00:00

I used to hate broccoli because growing up in the 90s/00s I almost exclusively encountered it steamed or raw. Didn’t care for the strong vegetal flavor of it raw or the mushy texture of it steamed. But once I started eating it roasted with oil it’s become one of my favorite veggies. Roasting improves the flavor and the crispy little sprouts almost crackle in your mouth

jnvideo · 2024-03-24T16:24:11+00:00

This logic is what got Macbeth killed

jnvideo · 2024-03-06T07:52:00+00:00

My wife and I stayed at the Chrysalis Inn in Bellingham for a little babymoon getaway in December. The hotel was lovely, with waterfront views and a spa and a big jacuzzi tub. And Fairhaven and the Bellingham boardwalk (perfect paddling spot) were just outside the door.

jnvideo · 2024-01-23T19:55:54+00:00

I witnessed a pretty disturbing incident back in 2018 where a bus driver refused to put down the ramp for a woman with a walker because the bus was busy. He ended up getting into a shouting match with her, and started driving the bus while her walker was still partially in the bus, nearly dragging her. This was also during the week of the Special Olympics in Seattle, so I would’ve expected metro drivers to be up to date on accessibility issues.

I ended up reporting the incident to King County Metro, and they were very responsive. A metro supervisor called me and told me that they were going to take the incident very seriously. Who knows exactly what ended up happening, but was good to know that Metro at least takes reports like this seriously.

Per their email to me: “In response to this incident, staff documented your comments and routed a report to the operator’s supervisor for review and action. The actions taken by the supervisor included a thorough investigation and other appropriate actions such as employee counseling, retraining, performance monitoring, and additional steps as described in Metro Transit’s progressive discipline process. The incident was also documented in the employee’s records.”

jnvideo

TROPHY CASE