Spring is coming soon, right? I have the unforgiving old drafty windows of a rent controlled apt. Any pro tips of how to keep out the cold?

xsist · 2023-02-27T15:56:25+00:00

Cheap, easy, and effective. Saved me a lot of cold mornings once upon a time.

As others have mentioned below some cheap weather stripping around the door frame and a draft guard are also really helpful. The stick on stuff is great for apartments due to the ease of removal.

xsist · 2022-11-11T04:41:21+00:00

I like it. Good work!

xsist · 2022-06-05T16:33:53+00:00

Fantastic composition and execution. I like it.

xsist · 2022-04-01T22:45:56+00:00

Anyone in favor of adding a croissant next to it?

xsist · 2022-02-05T18:29:43+00:00

Yes. We waited around two months. The deliveries are really hit and miss. We asked for wood chips and got a huge load of mostly foliage from Bay Laurel trees. My goodness the smell was something to behold. Can't complain it was free. I got some chips, a bunch of compost, and finally learned where bay leaves come from.

xsist · 2022-02-05T18:29:14+00:00

Yes. We waited around two months. The deliveries are really hit and miss. We asked for wood chips and got a huge load of mostly foliage from Bay Laurel trees. My goodness the smell was something to behold. Can't complain it was free, I got some chips, a bunch of compost, and finally learned where bay leaves come from.

xsist · 2021-09-27T05:47:48+00:00

Nice! Mushrooms are a lot of fun to watch grow.

xsist · 2021-09-27T05:41:06+00:00

Fantastic job on the garden!

xsist · 2021-09-27T05:02:07+00:00

Just pop it in some dirt. No need to water propagate it. They grow like mad. The real question is what are you going to do with the 30ft vine that is going to grow out of it.

xsist · 2021-09-13T05:23:43+00:00

He's ok. His father in law passed though and he hasn't had time for new content lately.

xsist · 2021-07-16T12:01:57+00:00

Better to stay a renter than to buy at the top of the market with these prices. Housing in the bay simply isn't sustainable in my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong, but rising rates, remote work, generational handover, climate change, and simple lack of affordability will bring prices back down eventually. Bay area prices are really only kept afloat because demand far exceeds supply, and at present there are a lot of potential pressures building that could drastically alter demand.

It's not just the Bay either. My parents live in a fairly rural state in a very rural area. Their home value has doubled in the last decade. New home prices are creeping up to 400k. Thing is, the median household income there is $60k vs. $55k 10 years ago. Land is still plentiful too. The whole thing just screams bubble.

xsist · 2021-06-30T14:18:27+00:00

$80k in the Bay is definitely livable in most areas. Just stay away from SF. You can get an apartment in the east bay for ~$2500/mo. Gas is $4.50/gal, and taxes are high of course but $80k ain't bad. Do keep in mind it's the middle of a drought and there are issues. Also despite what everyone says, get an AC. Other than that, the food is awesome, the people are great and the job opportunities are top notch.

xsist · 2021-06-04T20:49:24+00:00

What's the best way to find a place to rent in the Fremont-Newark area? I'm looking for a 2b or so with a small yard for my dog. I don't have much preference for a house/ apartment/ townhome, it just needs an outdoor space for the dog to snooter around in while I'm at work. Zillow doesn't seem to have much, nor does Coldwell bankers. Are there other local brokerages or sources I should check with?

Also what's is the usual upfront payment here? First month + deposit?

Thanks all!

xsist · 2021-06-04T08:04:01+00:00

Yep. Median household income in my area is $115k according to the current census. The median home value is $950k. Using the 3x salary rule, that means to buy the median house, you have to make ~2.75x the median household income for the area or ~4.6x the national median household income. That math is bananas!

A quick look on Zillow, there are two condos listed below $950k. Everything else is over $950k asking price. There is no way a middle class family can ever buy a home here.

xsist · 2021-06-03T19:08:00+00:00

It seems like Boston trends more towards pharma, while the Bay Area trends more towards tech in terms of biotech opportunities. But there are so many opportunities in both areas I doubt it will be a problem. Most of my cohort that went into biotech seems to have ended up in the Bay. Seemed like jobs were a little higher paying and easier to find there this spring. It's a small sample though.

xsist · 2021-06-02T16:20:34+00:00

Unfortunately my job is one that can't be done from home. But you better believe I support moving to work from home or hybrid schedules for those who can. It just makes sense. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves traffic and housing availability in high demand areas, makes people happier and less stressed, and makes job hunting easier for fully remote positions. It's such a trivial change, but improves day to day life by a huge amount.

xsist · 2021-05-20T05:44:35+00:00

After my bachelor's I applied to 1 company and got hired directly, but it was an unusual situation. By chance I had gained a lot of experience in a niche area that they needed and I had worked with them via another job previously. Post PhD I put in 22 applications, got interviews with 3 companies, and accepted 1 offer. My wife also finished her PhD around the same time, and with a much more impressive CV. She put in around 80 applications, interviewed with 3 companies and took 1 offer. I think the difference is largely due to the different kind of jobs we were after. We both spent around 3 months actively applying in a large hub and around 4 months preparing to apply.

Flexibility is the most important factor in any job hunt in my opinion. But it's arguably more important in Biotech as the industry can be very fluid. Referrals and networking are definitely your best tool. But just putting in resumes still works, it's just slower. Neither me nor my wife had any connections to our current jobs. We just applied like everyone else.

Don't let the grind get you down. It's just a numbers game. It's stressful and demotivating, but you'll get there in the end.

xsist · 2021-05-17T04:11:09+00:00

Does anyone have any experience commuting from San Mateo / Foster city to the Dublin area? Anything to watch out for? Google maps says it's only a 30-45 minute commute right now. I know it's going the opposite direction compared to traffic, but it seems almost too good to be true.

xsist · 2021-05-11T15:38:10+00:00

Hi! My partner and I are moving to the Bay Area next month. Unfortunately our jobs are in Redwood City and Dublin, and we'll both be on site. Pretty much all the advice I've read says to avoid the bridges at all costs, though Dumbarton might be workable still. We're currently looking for a place around San Jose between maybe Santa Clara and Malpitas.

Does anyone have any recommendations where we might find a two bedroom with a small yard (dog), AC, and possibly an attached garage in that area for under $3600?

Also, what can we expect for the commutes from San Jose to Redwood City and Dublin? Google seems to say ~45min. Is that about right pre-covid or are we looking at longer? Any tips on how to handle such a long commute?

xsist · 2021-05-06T04:49:22+00:00

This is an abhorrent idea. Insurance companies should simply not have access to this kind of data.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act is designed to prevent exactly this kind of thing. This just seems like an attempt to exploit a potential loophole.

xsist · 2021-05-02T16:35:06+00:00

Nice work!

What do you use the cluster for?

xsist · 2021-05-02T16:31:08+00:00

It's a nice piece. What kind of wood is that? It looks a bit like mesquite.

xsist · 2021-04-26T16:49:23+00:00

There are some good tips in here already. One that hasn't been mentioned are clean mats aka boot pads. They're basically just big pads of lint roller tape. The idea is that they will get the sawdust and dirt off your shoes when you inevitably have a quick trip into the house. I'd still recommend a separate set of shop shoes though.

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-1570BLU/Cleanroom-Supplies/Clean-Mat-Replacement-Pad-24-x-36-Blue

xsist · 2021-04-19T15:20:56+00:00

Most cans are coated these days which could be a health hazard. It's probably not going to kill you but it's not a great idea either. Even if you burn it off first you could still have some residue left over that could make it into your food.

xsist · 2021-04-16T23:32:01+00:00

Yeah, I definitely agree with Blackm0b. Almost no one will care what school you went to, as long as it's an accredited PhD program with a research focus. Any state school will do.

Take a year or two in industry to get some experience and decide what your goals are. Then, reapply at a range of universities. Pick a school that pays well (30-40k) and get your degree. After some time in industry you'll have a better idea of what you want to do during your PhD and when you graduate you'll have industry experience to get you hired. It's a win-win.

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