u/jhsu802701

The remote backup service I've been trying out is BorgBase, but I'm sure that most of these S3 storage services are similar.

BorgBase has procedures for using SSH keys to connect my local machine to my BorgBase account. Setting up the RESTIC_REPOSITORY environment variable is what allows me to make the connection and upload my files. In the command line environment where I'm running restic, I am NOT asked for my BorgBase password, but I am asked for my repository password.

Is there any point in having SSH keys set up for BorgBase?

I'm sure that we've all heard of the TV show My 600 Pound Life. I don't think I've watched more than one episode from start to finish, but they all seem to follow the same basic formula.

What would happen if the morbidly obese person profiled in each episode tried the Mediterranean diet? As far as I can tell, the only two options available to Dr. Now's patients are the extremely unhealthy diet that led to their morbid obesity and Dr. Now's prescribed crash diet of just 1200 calories per day. Apparently, anything BETWEEN these two opposite extremes is off the table.

A high-fiber low-sodium Mediterranean/DASH diet is my normal diet. The dietary fiber, protein, and healthy fats satisfy my appetite. My calories, carbs, protein, points, and weight take care of themselves. I don't have to ever count calories, count points, comply with an arbitrary calorie limit, starve myself, avoid carbs, drink Slim Fast, bankrupt myself by buying expensive proprietary food (which NutriSystem is infamous for), run marathons in 100-degree heat, vote someone off the team, or listen to Jillian Michaels yelling at me.

I'm skinnier than most people. I'd have to go to Japan or South Korea in order to be considered normal-sized. There is NO WAY I could comply with a daily calorie limit of 1200 calories per day. If I tried to do this, I'd end up so ravenously hungry that I'd binge. Worse yet, deep-fried foods and other nutritional no-nos would be so much more tempting. If I somehow managed to stick with this diet and avoid caving, I'd end up with that skeletal look that Hollywood likes but would frighten everyone else.

For some reason, the idea of eating a more normal 2000 calories per day is off the table. I know from doing a few spot checks of my daily calorie intake that 1600 is the absolute minimum for me (and involves the most scorching and appetite-shrinking summer heat) while 3200 to 3600 is the maximum for me (and involves a hyperinflated appetite from the January polar vortex).

I bet that Dr. Now's patients would lose lots of weight on my winter diet even though it causes me to gain weight. They'd even lose weight on my January Polar Vortex Diet. Given that non-starchy vegetables provide fullness from fewer calories than any other food, people trying to lose weight should double down on them.

Given our concerns about the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak, we should all have plenty of our favorite N95 masks. Despite all the worries people have about this, nobody seems to be talking about the two most important precautions, masks and air purification (with box fan air purifiers, Corsi Rosenthal boxes, Clean Air Kits, or other air purifiers).

So let's talk about masks here. What are your favorite masks? Which masks do you hate and absolutely refuse to wear ever again?

My favorite masks are:

• Overall: The 3M Aura is cheap, effective, and comfortable. Amazon's 3M store has good deals. In my informal mask fit testing, the 3M Aura fully protects me from tasting not only the sweet solution but the bitter solution as well. This mask is so comfortable that I can wear it all day in oppressively hot weather.
• Elastomeric: I have a 3M HF-802SD elastomeric respirator with P100 filters. What makes this elastomeric respirator unique is a speaking diaphragm to reduce the muffling of my voice. I used a combination of electrical tape, poster tape, and hot glue to attach a KN95 to it as a rednecky exhalation valve filter, because I want everyone else to be well-protected in the event I'm infected.
• For haircuts: I use a strapless adhesive N95 mask. Because this mask is good for one use only, I use this ONLY for haircuts.
• Non-N95: The best lousy mask is one of those cheap dust masks with one little head strap. While it's no more effective than a baggy blue "surgical" mask, it's MUCH more comfortable and secure.

The masks that I hate and refuse to wear again are:

• Ear loop masks: Every ear loop mask I ever wore hurt my ears and/or was prone to falling off.
• 3M cup masks: Both the 3M 8200 and 8511 cup masks scratched my face and squeezed my head. For some reason, these masks get great reviews. I don't get it.

Even if COVID-19 really were as mild as everyone wants to believe, and even if you don't hate any of the symptoms, the current hantavirus outbreak is one more reason to double down on N95 masks and Corsi Rosenthal boxes (or other air purifiers).

The early symptoms of hantavirus mimic the symptoms of many other airborne diseases. If the hantavirus outbreak expands to people who were never on that cruise ship, that would be bad news because it be a surefire sign of a new pandemic.

Under such circumstances, you'd probably freak out if you were sick. You'd be wondering if you were infected with hantavirus. Who wants that?

But for some reason, nobody has thought about this. Most people still aren't wearing any mask at all (much less an N95) in the risky places.

Despite all the buzz about the ongoing hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship, why isn't everyone rushing to buy N95 masks and build DIY air purifiers?

Because the old pandemic (COVID-19) hasn't gone away, I switched to N95 masks (like the 3M Aura) and now run several air purifiers at home, including box fan air purifiers and a Brisk Box from Clean Air Kits. Even if ear loop masks were as effective as N95 masks, I'm NEVER EVER going back. Every ear loop mask I ever wore hurt my ears and/or was prone to falling off. Uncomfortable + less effective = EPIC FAIL!

There are people out there complaining that the people on that cruise ship aren't all being quarantined properly. People in the Canary Islands are angry about the release of the cruise ship passengers in their port.

So why isn't all this prompting people to actually address their risk of inhaling airborne viruses? Why haven't Corsi Rosenthal boxes gone mainstream? We do NOT have to accept the risk of being infected and do nothing to stop it.

I'm curious. I tried lemon lime Poppi soda once, and it was so strong that I had to dilute it in lots of water to make it palatable. A mixture of 25% Poppi and 75% water is a nice treat.

To be fair, I've been consuming an ultra-healthy diet for the past 6 years, and this has made my taste buds more sensitive than they used to be.

I cannot remember the last time I drank sugary soda pop. I recall that it seemed like a nice treat when I was a child, but I lost my taste for it at some point and have found it to be MUCH too sweet ever since. Instead of refreshing, I've found the flavor of soda pop to be sticky, chemical, and so nasty that I can't believe that it once seemed like a nice treat.

In order to back up files to an online storage service like Cloudflare or BorgBase, you need to provide your password.

Is there a secure way to automate those online backups? Putting your passwords in a script is a security no-no. Storing passwords in a plain text file is also a security no-no.

What's the proper way to automatically back up files?