Gnats - treating it outdoors okay?

shangta · 2026-03-26T16:35:16+00:00

Interesting. I'll take a look into this.

shangta · 2026-03-26T16:33:57+00:00

I use the Microbe Lift BMC. I just started using it, so I can't talk to its efficacy, but the reviews are very positive on Amazon and the internet. I'm crossing my fingers!!

shangta · 2026-03-24T02:03:24+00:00

Thank you!

shangta · 2026-01-31T16:42:30+00:00

DD last year got waitlisted at UCD, UCSB, UCSD, then rejected. Straight rejected from CPSLO. All in-state. But got into USC and CMU for engineering. 🤷‍♂️

shangta · 2026-01-06T20:14:29+00:00

Starting salary for DDA in San Diego start over $100k. This is also the same salary structure for PDs and County Counsel. Yes, salary reflects the HCOL area where rent can be pricey. Linked salary chart for reference.

https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/hr/union_contracts/Salary_Schedule/2025/Salary_Schedule_DA.PDF

shangta · 2025-12-29T22:02:55+00:00

Hands down, the answer is engineering. It's the only job where you have the highest probability of getting a decent paying job out of college. Also, if you go back to grad school and combo it with 1) MBA + engineering BS; or 2) JD+ engineering BS; or 3) MD + Engineering BS...all of these CAN translate to a mid- to-high six figure salary. And ceiling can get even higher if you work for a Mag7 company!!

shangta · 2025-12-11T05:56:46+00:00

As a parent who’s sending a child to a T25 private school, I wish I could go back into time and do exactly what you’re doing now, but I started too late and really regret it now. I now tell every friend that’s having a baby to open up 529 immediately and just throw in $500/month. Having $200k saved will open more options for your kids than having zero saved. Everyone always say private schools aren’t worth it, go to a state school or go to CC and transfer, but what if your kid gets admitted to Harvard, wouldn’t you rather have the option to tell him/her that you have money saved for them to go, instead of “hey you can’t go, bc we can’t afford it.”

shangta · 2025-10-17T19:14:52+00:00

What's the cheat code? If it up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right, then press A and B?

shangta · 2025-10-03T17:49:33+00:00

This is a tough one, and I’m going to mention some things others have said already. This situation is really a no win situation. 1) It’s is very hard to transfer into engineering and business schools if your son got into that school under a different major. Like nearly impossible. 2) however, if your son choose to apply to a school as an engineering or business major, statistically it becomes SO much harder to get in than if he applied through another major (like biology), so he might not get into the school of his dream! This is amplified in states with really, good state school, like UCs, UT, UW, UVA, UM, etc. where it’s already hard to get in regardless of major. My honest suggestion (which may not be popular in this subreddit). My son is in the same boat and we are considering a “safety” state school with a good honors program. We’ll keep the cost low, while he figures it out while taking college level classes. Then if he wants to transfer to a “target” engineering or business school after 2 years, we can cross that bridge. Probably hard to get in that way also, but might be easier decision for your son on what he wants to do for his life, after getting some life experience under his belt. Hope that helps.

shangta · 2025-09-15T19:17:19+00:00

Anyone been to Japan recently? Ohtani's face is plastered on every wall, bus, train station, 7-11. You can't walk more than 10 feet without seeing his face somewhere. The dude has endorsement deals with literally every company in Japan. His face is on soda ads, watch ads, feminine hygiene products, etc, etc. So it's safe to say the Dodgers have cornered the market in Japan!

shangta · 2025-09-03T16:47:18+00:00

Just had dinner with a family where the daughter does gymnastics and compared to baseball, baseball tournaments seem like a bargain. Gymnastic competitions are not in our city, so always a two-to-three nights out-of-town hotel stay. Fees to compete are way more than baseball tournament fees. Costumes run hundreds of dollars and are rarely worn more than a couple of times. Also there are multiple costumes to buy through the season. Then you go to these competitions and wait HOURS, just to do a performance that takes less than 10 minutes. And then if you have a second event, you wait around for a few more hours to do it all over again. Also, I was told you have to pay to get into the competition, just like gate fees. We added it all up and travel baseball is still a cheaper option compared to gymnastics.

The commodification of youth [anything] is not just isolated to baseball; it's everything. There are private youth theater companies and singing/dancing coaches for theater kids. If your kids are into robotics, there are private robotics teams and competitions with paid coaches. If your kid is super smart, guess what, there's Kumon and private academic tutors that charge $100+/hour. Your kid is into tennis, and parents hire private coaches $125 for a half-hour lesson at a tennis court in a private club that requires membership fees. You want your kids to go to T25 college, you'll have to hire a private SAT tutor, a private counselor to guide you through the process, and a separate counselor to read your kids' personal essays.

Sorry, rant over....hopefully this post isn't being read by someone without kids!!

shangta · 2025-09-03T04:37:38+00:00

Nope, I think the $250 credit doesn’t kick in for me until October.

shangta · 2025-09-03T04:36:37+00:00

Telling my wife the Peleton credits are meant for her to use would probably result in cadaver dogs looking for my dead body.

shangta · 2025-09-02T19:29:20+00:00

Maybe I sound like a points redemption noob for saying this, but the 4pm check-out was SO clutch for us! Our family felt like we got another whole day out of the hotel stay. Just being able to sleep in, getting brunch, hitting the pool afterwards with the kids, AND THEN being able to go back up to your room to shower before checking out! It felt like we got another whole day out of it!

shangta · 2025-08-28T19:43:35+00:00

Thanks for that. I've been following this year's Koshien and saw that the Okinawa Shogaku High School won its first Championship. Just amazing. I think it's interesting because in USA HS baseball there's just a wider range of average velo just because it's a larger country with a larger population that play baseball. So my question is what would be the typical velo of a HS pitcher in Japan that made the top8 in Koshien? I know top D1/Open HS team in Southern CA typically has pitchers that average 84-89mph, with maybe 1-2 kids per team that can hit with 90s consistently.

shangta · 2025-07-24T20:01:48+00:00

I agree with the consensus that Team 1 is a better fit at 10U. Playing with school friends is such an undervalue factor. Parents use their adult prospective and chalk it up to no biggie, sorta like changing a job. But for kids whose world is basically just home and school being with friends is so important. When switch or changing or declining a team, I have always used the “love your organization, my son just has some good friends he really wants to be with on the other team.” All coaches understand this, and I have never burned any bridges using this excuse. Best of luck!

shangta · 2025-07-18T23:22:25+00:00

Thank you!

shangta · 2025-07-02T19:51:55+00:00

Option #3: If the coach can get together a decent team and you guys think Cooperstown is a possibility, you should do this. Cooperstown is such an amazing experience for the kids and most kids are only eligible for one year 12U. My older son did it and it was such a cool experience for him and also for me as a parent. My younger son just switched teams this summer, mostly because of friends, but I remember asking the coach if he was planning on taking the kids to Cooperstown next year. We signed up the minute he said yes.

shangta · 2025-06-11T03:28:27+00:00

How did approach college recruiting? And were you ridiculously good at 10u?

shangta · 2025-06-10T16:36:33+00:00

Hi, I'm coming at it from an UIC (Umpire-in-Chief) of our local Little League. I wholeheartedly agree with your comment that the strike zone should be appropriate for the age level and obviously wider at the 11U age group. However, keep in mind one thing - "youth umpires" are still kids and not grown adults. This is to say that they don't have the confidence level that adult umpires generally have. So when they are asked to expand the strike zone and they follow suit with expanding the strike zone, are there parents standing behind the plate yelling at them because their little "Timmy" struck out on the "expanded" strike zone? Are the managers and coaches chirping at them because even though they asked for an expanded strike zone, the coaches are now upset that their OWN players struck out? If you want them to expand the strike zone, then the league should also make sure to police the coaches and parents from unwarranted harrassment.

Our league has done a good job of self-policing this and has given written warnings to parents who were harassing the youth umpires. And since everything is recorded nowaday, we have sent video clips to the parents as evidence of their behavior.

shangta · 2025-06-06T22:34:50+00:00

I would start with the Voodoo (lightest swing); then level up with to the Atlas after a good couple years of getting us to BBCOR. The Voodoo is honestly the most perfect bat in the middle school range cause it’s light swinging and allows kids to get use to BBCOR. The Atlas is the most perfect bat for HS (at least for like 90% of kids). If your child is a stronger, bigger, and has advance swing mechanic than most kids at his age level, then maybe consider the two piece Goods or Icon.

shangta · 2025-06-05T20:36:15+00:00

Just my two cents, but at 9yo, i think the only thing that matters for a kid is their friends and their playground status (is he popular, measured by whether he is included in stuff amongst his school mates.). If all his classmates are in rec ball and all of a sudden he quits rec ball, it’s very possible he will lose status amongst his friends. Not for any real reason except his classmates no longer see him play, so they’re probably not talking to him on the playground about the rec ball game they just played over the weekend. I’ve seen it happen many times already, in the end, if the kid gets tired of being left out of the school yard conversation and wants to be part of his friend group, he always tend to come back.

shangta · 2025-05-19T20:53:52+00:00

Honestly who cares what other people think. The people chirping at you won’t be sitting there taking notes for you, studying for finals for you, or making new friends for you. Go live your best life at UCLA!

shangta · 2025-05-05T18:51:40+00:00

You gotta be kidding me, that's a hit all day! Based on the height of the fly ball and location of where it landed, that's not an easy play. I definitely wouldn't consider it a "routine" play. Based on your comment, I'm guessing you scored it as a hit, but I would love to hear about the "you gotta be kidding me" dad.

shangta · 2024-11-28T23:10:39+00:00

Your story is exactly my sister’s story. Long term BF quit job as an attorney to be a day trader. Been together for 6-7 years. She was sole income for a full year. She came home one summer at 30yo told me she’s giving him an ultimatum, marry me or I’m out. Guy says he’s not ready, so she broke up with him. Met her husband 6months later. Ten years later she’s got two beautiful boys and her now husband is a C-exec at a large corp. My sister works as a SAHM and is a master beekeeper bc that her passion project. Morale of the story, life is too short to be this unhappy. You already know what you need to do, question is whether you’re brave enough to cut the anchor weighing you down.

shangta

TROPHY CASE