u/Mei_Flower1996

Hi folks,

I graduated with my MS in Bioinfo in Dec 2024. I still don't have a job.

I am thinking of doing a slight pivot into health informatics. "Health informatics" was one of the sub-concentrations available in my MS, but I did not pursue it at the time. Since I already have background skills in Python, R, some bash and SQL, it seems like the logical choice to make myself a more attractive candidate.

Is taking courses in health informatics to do a slight "pivot" worth it? I am in the Boston Area.

Is it any good ? I've been using my moka for about a month but I don't like the PERC Juggernaut sorta dark, really good I have been using.

I am thinking to try JP licks espresso roast.

Is it any good?

Hi folks,

Over the course of my life, I've known people who "don't want to be reliant on medication." For example, my mom has chronic joint pain and dust mite allergies and doesn't take any pharmaceuticals for them. She takes meds for hypo-thyroidism, but that is it.

She won't use an air purifier, wash her sheets with hot water, or take any consistent meds. She'll take Allegra here and there when it's really bad, but only if the repeat sneezes are particularly fast and awful.

I've been trying to get her to take anti-inflammatory supplements ( gingerol, or blackseed, or tumeric/black pepper) for both her joints and allergies, and she refuses. She also doesn't take consistent medicine for the allergies because she doesn't want to be too reliant on medication.

The medication thing I can understand- you can even argue that most allergy medicines are designed for seasonal use and not year round use, as most people have bad allergies for 6 months or less.

But supplements are different, right? They are natural. Some or just big doses of food, so it's not too different from eating. I guess it's also just general stubbornness, ie no reason not to wash the sheets or use an air purifier , she's just being stubborn.

Can anybody explain the logic behind this?

Hi folks,

I started taking Blackseed Oil Supplements , orally, for my blepharitis. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be helping. Its normally a very effective anti inflammatory, used for allergies, eczema, join pain, etc.

I'm wondering if I can put dilute Blackseed oil on my eyelids, but I have the same hesitation as I do with Tea Tree oil, ie it's very irritating if it gets in your eyes.

How do you folks handle this? Also, do any of you put Fish as a topical treatment? I saw someone mention that on here. I do havae some omega 3 cod liver oil, so I am willing to try that.

Hi folks,

My MS in Bioinfo ended in Dec 2024 with a co-op, and I have been unemployed since. I did really well in the co-op, but it was in academic setting and funding made it so I could not get a full-time offer.

I have been trying to learn new skills and build projects so my skills don't decline, but I'm worried that the longer I spend without a job, the lesser than chance of getting one.

Anybody have any stories?

Hi folks,

I used to make coldbrew with cream of coconut when I was in college.

I have gotten into making pourover with light/medium roasts recently, and drinking it black. ( I had previously been making dark roast w milk because of acid reflux).

I decided to slowly get into adding stuff to my brews, because I only like black coffee with a sweet breakfast.

I bought some coconut condensed milk at Whole Foods some time ago, I was planning on buying cream of coconut to make pina colodadas, and I could not find cream of coconut at the store and found coconut condensed milk instead.

It's basically like cream of coconut , but much more homogenous.

I mixed it into some PERC Colombia Raspberry Lava Cake, and I brewed it as a pourover with about a tsp of the condensed cococnut milk for a 4 g brew.

And OhMyGod, it's so good.

Anyone use this in their brews?

Hi folks,

I have thought about how some coffee works better in my new 2 cup venus than I thought, and some does not.

I had a La Colombe Nizza Medium roast, and it worked surprisingly well in a cappuccino. The only issue was I used whole fat milk which kind of drowned the taste of the coffee.

I had a PERC Juggernaut " Sorta dark, really good" , and I thought it would work in the Moka and it was not good. I did it as a pourover, and I just did not like it.

I have a PERC Colombia Raspberry and Lava Cake and wow it's good as a pourover with coconut condensed milk ( I know pourover is generally consumed black, but it's good).

I'm considering making it in the moka pot...

Anyone else? I'm looking to try Lavazza and some JP Licks beans next. I have a burr hand grinder so I want to buy whole beans, and it's why I have not done Cafe Bustello.

Hi folks,

My darling father has awful hay-fever, developed a few years after coming to the USA. By then it was the 1990s, and Flonase and the like existed. HIs is all spring. He has the "adult immigrant hayfever" which tends to be especially severe. A lot in his eyes, repeat sneezes, post nasal drip. ( interestingly enough- less of the runny/stuffy nose. I guess it all goes down the back to make his throat scratchy and give him a cough rather than him just being able to blow his poor nose.) He's like a photo out of a textbook.

I had it as a child as well, but with more PND/cough and nowhere near as sneezy. I outgrew the worst of if it by age 15, and it faded out in my 20's. His was always worse than mine though, even before I outgrew it. Likely because I was born here.

He does Flonase and Ketotofin eyedrops. No pills work for him- from Allegra and Zyrtec to Singulair, they may as well be sugar pills.

He saw an allergist a few years back. The thing is- his season is 2 months long. Only about 3-4 weeks are his symptoms "moderate despite medications" instead of just mild. So he " just misses" the criteria for shots, while also struggling with his hay-fever more than most.

I started him on 5% standerdized gingerol supplements. Ideally, we should have started mid March, but it was more like late March. For an April/May season, he started with 1 pill in the AM, then 2 pills a day about two weeks ago, one with breakfast, and one with lunch.

One complaint- some heartburn with taking the pill. He is in his late 50's, however. Milk or yogurt with the pills helps, and of course taking it with a meal.

Huge improvement. He barely needs the eyedrops anymore on a typical day ( he does take them for prolonged outdoor activities). Repeat sneezes and Post Nasal drip are also much better!

The real truth will come in the next week or two, but it seems these supplements have changed his life during this month.I'm so glad, I always felt awful watching him suffer, especially since I outgrew mine.

I only wish we began these sooner! Initially, I thought that if the other pills don't do anything for him, then natural remedies would not , either. He also never looked into these himself, even though we are South Asian ( ie more likely to use natural remedies).I suppose that's what daughters are for, hehe.

Anyway! You folks should try. I am not going to link the exact supplements, in case this post gets flagged as an ad. You can DM me for them!