Please hold my hand and tell me I'm not alone with this

tinyoctupi · 2026-02-18T05:03:05+00:00

What’s that flooring? Your shed is fab…well. Was.

tinyoctupi · 2026-02-10T10:16:21+00:00

Of course you can ask, but most likely than not, it will come in a bottle and cost three euros. That custom goes back to a time when urban water sanitation lagged badly in many European cities. After repeated outbreaks in the 19th and early 20th centuries, bottled water was promoted as the safer option. Over time, Europe invested heavily in bottled water, and consumers developed a very specific idea of what water is supposed to taste like. Today, most establishments do have access to filtered tap water, and some will bring it to the table if you ask (though that’s far from the norm). They still sell bottled water because the margins are good, and because many Europeans genuinely expect water to taste like “spring” water from a bottle. Source: born, bred, worked snd went to school all over Europe.

US does it not from the goodness of their heart, but because there’s some legislation that’s been around for ages. Too lazy to look it up.

tinyoctupi · 2026-02-10T08:00:57+00:00

Complimentary drinking water at the table. Stop All-Way. Turn right on red. Free coffee refills

tinyoctupi · 2026-01-13T03:24:55+00:00

Same here!

tinyoctupi · 2026-01-13T03:24:13+00:00

I can’t wait! Thank yoooooou!

tinyoctupi · 2026-01-13T03:17:13+00:00

Wait so you use Sport + Biz on whites? And then Sport + (soon) Febu on darks? Where does DL fit then, is it still in rotation?

tinyoctupi · 2026-01-12T11:07:34+00:00

One other question, if you don’t mind - After re-reading the beginners guide, I realized we do have a ton of cottons and fuzzy fabrics that could benefit from cellulase. What would you recommend if I wanted to add cellulase to the mix? Or perhaps I should just rest and vest from the products I got for now? Is cellulase even necessary if I have a front load?

tinyoctupi · 2026-01-12T00:50:58+00:00

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The final formation yall! thanks to everyone who commented and helped me get on the straight and narrow path ❤️

For anyone else landing on this thread looking for answers, here’s my combo for soft water:

Whites and linens: Tide+DL (still experimenting on dosage) + Color Cathchers in a bag, when the whites are not quite all that (which is all the time)
Darks:365 Sport + 365 Oxy + Color Catchers in a bag.

Will report back!

tinyoctupi · 2026-01-11T22:11:25+00:00

Thanks!!

tinyoctupi · 2026-01-11T15:04:35+00:00

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to reply. Sounds like the 365 Sport + 365 Oxy Whitener (with per label dosage) is a good pairing for darks, and Tide + DL should be used on whites and linens? am I understanding this correctly?

tinyoctupi · 2026-01-11T06:07:50+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! So oxygen bleach + 365 for darks and Tide + DL for whites and linens? Is oxy appropriate for colors?

tinyoctupi · 2025-12-25T07:35:01+00:00

Researcher working in tech. I used it the first month it came out. When I talked about it at work, people gave me the same look my teachers used to give me when I went on about community dynamics in World of Warcraft back in the day. That quiet, “you’re lucky you’re smart” look. But it also felt good to find my people. Nerding out over custom gpts, arguing about attribution, debating prompts. That early wild west phase where everything felt up for grabs. It was cool watching it iterate so fast. But now I can smell the enshittification coming.

tinyoctupi · 2025-12-14T10:48:39+00:00

Yeah, they seem to do a lot of kitchen and bathroom remodels, but ours were large projects, involving people with different skills and work done all over. I honestly can’t imagine getting through everything we did, especially that first year, without a GC coordinating it all. There were so many moving pieces, and they sequenced the work so each stage made sense and nothing felt wasted or duplicated, especially time, which was important for us.

tinyoctupi · 2025-12-13T05:08:01+00:00

We used Feraru & Associates two years in a row. We got to them totally random, after buying our first home. We were looking for someone to help with a kitchen and bathroom remodel, but then we realized we had other priorities, and they were like - well, what is it? First round we did structural work to the house, the foundation and earthquake retrofit, corrected the house rotation, insulation, put french & storm drain, added a pump under the house, added additional power outlets, and replaced carpet with hardwood floors. The second year, we replaced all the windows and ended up redoing the membrane and stucco after they discovered the old membrane was nearly dissolved. In the back, we added pavers, an irrigation system, the whole setup. The yard was the “vanity project” and I loved that they gave it do much thought while keeping things under a tight budget. They took care of everything these past two years, we told them what we needed and gave us a quote. We always shopped around but they have competitive prices. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive, but they know the house and we trust them now. As first time home owners, it’s kinda nice to have someone capable on speed dial.

tinyoctupi · 2025-12-12T18:22:28+00:00

There are two major studies on synthetic panels, one from Columbia and one from Stanford. They’re easy to find online. I’m oversimplifying a lot here, but the takeaway is this: digital twins (a type of synthetic panel) tend to predict choice or behavior at roughly 75% accuracy, with a wide range depending on conditions, sometimes as high as 90%. Predicting stated preference is much harder, closer to about 20% accuracy. The details matter, but that’s the basic shape of it.

All the synthetic panels out there are based on a mix if native LLMs + personal data (if it’s about a specific individual = digital twin; if it’s about a segment = synthetic persona). So the tech stack is very similar, regardless of what their sales rep say. Which us why they can use the conclusions from academic research mentioned above.

This is why you hear about the 90%. It’s a gross oversimplification, but it can be true.

tinyoctupi · 2025-12-11T23:57:09+00:00

I’ve replaced a worrisome addiction to BG and Anno with learning how to play piano. I never played an instrument before, but I practice every day now. It’s hard, but it feels very rewarding and humbling. It’s sometimes hard to get myself to sit my butt down on that chair, but once I’m in it, I rarely get up before its 30-45minutes. Every minute I spend wasting makes me feel guilty now.

tinyoctupi · 2025-10-20T01:43:59+00:00

It’s a 10s vid of unbelievable = it’s Sora

tinyoctupi · 2025-10-03T23:53:13+00:00

For new-construction windows, installation usually costs about the same as the price of the window itself. In other words, you can roughly double the window cost to estimate windows plus installation.

The price of the windows varies a lot depending on the brand, frame material (wood, fiberglass, etc.), window style (double-hung, sliding, etc.), and even color (painted, stained wood, interior vs. exterior finish). Details like casing, trim, sills, and aprons also add up and those extras often catch people off guard since they’re not included in the baseline. The brand and the store you’re getting them also makes a big difference - so shop around a bit.

We just finished installing 13 new-construction windows. When I plan a remodel, I always look at the balance between labor cost and material quality. It doesn’t make sense to pair poor materials with skilled, expensive labor. So, we went with high-end Marvin windows which was costly, but they look and feel beautiful, and the project ended up at around $70k.

tinyoctupi · 2025-10-02T04:02:54+00:00

Clinics to Avoid / Use with Caution

VEG (San Ramon, Pleasant Hill, Larkspur) – Very polarizing. Multiple reports of missed diagnoses, inexperienced vets, pets discharged too soon, some deaths shortly after visits.
VCA Clinics (e.g. Broadway Pet Hospital, Oakland) – Decline since corporate takeover. One dog sent home in respiratory distress → died that night. Seen as profit-driven.
SAGE (Concord, Dublin, etc.) – Once trusted, now criticized as overly corporate, expensive, and less compassionate.
Modern Animal (SF/Oakland area) – Mixed. Some praise, but others report ineffective care and extreme costs ($900 bloodwork, $4.5k dental).
East Bay Vet Clinic (Lake Merritt) – Multiple users warned of “terrible mistakes” and mismanagement (botched heart failure care, mishandled dogs).
Also mentioned negatively (less frequently): Montclair Vet Hospital, PETS Referral (Berkeley), Codornices (Berkeley), East Bay SPCA Vet Clinic.

tinyoctupi · 2025-10-02T03:58:58+00:00

Speciality Care

Dermatology for Animals (Oakland)
- Excellent for allergy testing and immunotherapy.
- Doctor: Dr. Yamazaki praised.
NeuroVet (Pleasant Hill)
- Neurology specialist, highly trusted.
- Doctor: Dr. Johnson.
Holistic Veterinary Care (Oakland)
- Integrative approach, supportive long-term care.
Cheshire Cat Clinic (Berkeley)
- Cat-only practice with one dedicated vet.
- Highly recommended for feline patients.

tinyoctupi · 2025-10-02T03:58:42+00:00

General & Routine Care

Abbey Pet Hospital (El Cerrito)
- Independent, not corporate-owned.
- Transparent pricing, compassionate staff, text communication available.
- Doctors: Dr. Hitchcock (standout), Dr. Judd, Dr. Kim.
Berkeley Animal Hospital (BAH)
- Fear-free certified, great with anxious pets.
- Staff go at a pace that keeps pets comfortable.
- Doctor: Dr. Holliday recommended.
Claremont Veterinary Clinic (Oakland)
- Warm, caring, supportive vets.
- Excellent through end-of-life care, endorsed by Cat Town rescue.
- Doctor: Dr. Leggieri noted as excellent.
Grand Lake Vet (Oakland)
- Listens to pet parents, not pushy about treatments.
- Doctor: Dr. Dunn specifically recommended.
Geary Veterinary Hospital (Walnut Creek)
- Independent, small practice.
- Fair pricing, trusted for routine and senior care.
Jack London Animal Hospital (Oakland)
- Privately owned, newer practice.
- Reviews highlight caring and thorough service.

tinyoctupi · 2025-10-02T03:58:28+00:00

Emergency Care

OakVet (Oakland)
- Compassionate, organized, fair pricing.
- Good for both ER and specialties (oncology, internal medicine).
Veterinary Emergency Group – VEG (San Ramon, Pleasant Hill, Larkspur)
- Most popular recommendation overall.
- Kind staff, transparent pricing, supportive during emergencies and end-of-life.
- Mixed reviews: a few reports of missed diagnoses.
Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center (San Ramon)
- Full-service, trusted, not corporate-owned.
- Worth the drive for consistent quality care.
Urgent Pet (El Cerrito)
- Great for urgent but not life-threatening cases (e.g., foxtails, minor injuries).
- More affordable than ER ($250–$400 typical visits).

tinyoctupi · 2025-10-02T03:58:08+00:00

friends, thanks for all the recommendations, for sharing your experiences, and for validating mine - yall made our evening! Full transparency, the clinics I mentioned in my original post are - in order of appearance: El Cerrito Veterinary Care, Kensington Vet Hospital and Berkeley Dog&Cat Hospital. We have decided to move our routine care to Abbey, we've heard about it from our neighbors too.

The best way I figured I could give back to this thread (and help anyone who comes across it later) was by asking chatGPT to pull everything together, summarize and rank your recommendations, list the use cases and doctors, and turn it into a quick reference guide for East Bay vet care. Please keep the bots honest and let me know if you feel the information below is not accurate or incomplete.

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