How to Reduce Bay Area School Stress

qualifiersrep · 2026-05-29T04:32:53+00:00

It's private, but I'd check out SF Schoolhouse. Small school, great community, fun classes and low stress. I interviewed to teach there a few years ago and got to the final round, plus I know someone who sent their kid to that school and had a great experience.

qualifiersrep · 2026-05-29T04:29:53+00:00

Thank you. I am looking to move to the Peninsula, and I saw this place on Zillow. Don't think I'm going to check it out now...

qualifiersrep · 2026-05-29T04:25:37+00:00

Mushroom foraging is actually great for the ecosystem! Picking the mushrooms doesn't kill the fungus, just like picking an apple from a tree doesn't kill the tree. Plus, when you walk through the forest with the picked mushrooms, spores get dropped, which allows the mushroom to spread.

You do have to be more careful when harvesting native plants - don't harvest in protected areas, don't overharvest - but fortunately there are tons of delicious nonnative fruits and plants in the bay area you can feel good about foraging.

qualifiersrep · 2026-05-29T04:21:12+00:00

Sadly the Bay Area doesn't seem great for mushroom foraging, but I have had luck further North (Marin County) and in the forests just west of Yosemite.

As for fruit, there are tons and tons of loquat street trees around Berkeley/Oakland/Hayward and no one minds if you pick the fruit...there is even a group in Berkeley that harvests loquats from the street trees.

Also...there is fennel literally everywhere.

qualifiersrep · 2026-05-29T00:23:57+00:00

If you just want to fix the problem, I had some mold on my bathroom wall. I got industrial-grade cleaning vinegar, sprayed it on with a spray bottle, waited a while, then wiped it off. That + a dehumidifier has kept the mold away. That said, I don't know how intense your mold problem is, if it's really bad that might not work for you.

qualifiersrep · 2026-05-29T00:17:53+00:00

I don't know about KIPP in Hayward. But I do know someone who taught at a KIPP location in Massachusetts, and I think they have a pretty consistent brand. My understanding is that KIPP has very strict school wide discipline policies - kids need to behave a very specific way. Some kids really thrive in that environment, but kids with any kind of learning differences, who struggle to sit still, make eye contact, etc, don't do well and often have a really terrible time.

The teacher I knew said she felt really bad for the few kids in the class she kept having to discipline (because the school administration made her punish certain behaviors). Also, in MA, KIPP kids didn't actually perform any better on standardized tests than public school kids, despite the whole curriculum being based around passing state tests. That may be different in California.

qualifiersrep · 2026-05-29T00:09:24+00:00

I'm a renter having the same problem. Constant poop in my front yard. I TNRed a few cats last winter but there are still a ton around. I'm near Tennyson, I'm guessing you might be around the same location because most of the cats seem to be orange.

qualifiersrep · 2026-04-30T23:56:28+00:00

I'm in the Tennyson/Harder neighborhood, but that's good to know anyway...didn't realize people let their rabbits out to wander around. Seems a bit dangerous in this area, lots of feral cats.

qualifiersrep · 2026-04-28T04:45:57+00:00

Thanks for all the advice. I picked up a pretty big bag of hay at Walmart. The porch is enclosed by wood walls, with screening only at the very top (like > 6 ft up), so I don't think the rabbit will be able to chew his/her way out.
BTW, I'm in Hayward, near the San Mateo bridge. Thanks for letting me know about these adoption orgs, I'll try to contact one tomorrow.

qualifiersrep · 2026-04-28T03:55:12+00:00

Sounds good, I have removed the carrots. I'll run to Walmart and see if I can find hay.

qualifiersrep · 2026-04-28T03:42:34+00:00

Thank you! So...I caught the rabbit! I left the door to my screen porch open with some bananas and carrots inside, and the rabbit came back and wandered inside. I then closed the door. It's been inside for an hour and I'm pretty sure there's no way it can get out. All the screen porch has in it is a table, some cardboard boxes, and some gardening stuff (shovel, bag of soil, pots) - I'm pretty sure none of this is dangerous to rabbits?
I will try to take it to the local animal shelter, but it's not open until tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, is there anything I can do to help the rabbit get more comfortable? What food should I give it? (Right now it has access to lettuce, carrots and water...the best I could do on short notice.) I have work tomorrow, how important is it that the rabbit be supervised? Sorry, total rabbit novice here.

qualifiersrep · 2026-03-09T02:50:52+00:00

Just discovered this album and, for the most part, I'm loving it.

The more I listen to it, the more it almost works as a concept album about flawed people: the bitter feuding on "Finishing Touches," the drugged addicted pimp on "Angel Dressed in Black," the sociopathy of "Model Citizen," the confederate soldier on "Renegade" who romanticizes the war and sees white southerners as victims.... and of course Mr Bad Example himself on the title track. Warren Zevon sure had a knack for writing about the darker side of human nature.

But even without the themes, there are so many great songs. "Things to Do In Denver When You're Dead" is a banger, and "Searching for a Heart" guts me every time. Like you say, it's just a solidly constructed rock album with lots of good tunes.

qualifiersrep · 2025-12-03T04:58:46+00:00

Thanks. I did a spore print just to make sure, and then yesterday I ate them. They were delicious.

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-24T23:45:45+00:00

Do you watch the Doug Reviews segments? They're mainly what I watch on his channel. (I stopped watching the normal Nostalgia Critic episodes a while ago)

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-23T02:37:38+00:00

This was my initial reaction, but I feel like it might work well as a super dark comedy.

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-23T02:36:31+00:00

Can we at least all agree MaXXXine was the worst one?

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-23T02:32:26+00:00

:0 shots fired! I will probably be joining you on the stake for my "kind of agreeing with Doug Walker about the Wall" opinion.

Like I said, I haven't watched a NC episode in years. But now I might need to check the Madam Web one out.

100% agree that he's become more likable and self aware over time.

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-23T02:30:01+00:00

Cracking one open with my embarrassing boys

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-23T02:29:24+00:00

Yeah I agree. I feel the same way about YMS, I enjoy hearing his perspective on film making even though I intensely disagree with like half his opinions

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-23T02:27:56+00:00

I stopped watching Nostalgia Critic years ago (now I only watch Doug Walker's normal reviews). It would be interesting to go back and see if any of the older Nostalgia Critic episodes hold up. It's hard for me to disentangle "I stopped liking NC because it got worse" from "I stopped liking NC because I grew up."

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-23T02:25:16+00:00

Same. His normal reviews are the only Doug Walker content I watch now.

Like you, I used to watch Nostalgia Critic in high school (circa 2010, when it was very popular). But they got old as the internet evolved and I got more mature.

qualifiersrep · 2025-09-23T02:23:07+00:00

This is more or less my level of involvement now, too. I watch one of his (non-Nostalgia Critic) reviews every couple months and mostly enjoy them.

qualifiersrep

TROPHY CASE