To be fair, while I’ve never seen or know anyone circumcised, at least around here we shower after exercise and sports and stuff. We never had separated showers in schools or sports halls or gyms or similar, you’d obviously see everyone’s dick very often if you ever participated in any activity that’s sweaty. But then again we also have a very long and strong sauna tradition, which only increases the genital-seeing vectors in everyone’s life.

I think it only natural, why should anyone be ashamed or somehow hide their natural body is beyond me. I think it’s also healthy in terms of normalizing the fact that we all have a body, skin, genital, and we all come in differences shapes and sizes and all.

But I do find it similarly weird to ever bully anyone over a thing like that. Anybody too distracted by, or otherwise focused on, someone else’s body parts is probably having some issues themselves that ought to be resolved.

I have never met anyone circumcised before, nor even heard of one outside of celebrities and internet randoms like this.

So the thing about some being grossed out is purely cultural and not a universal thing. I find it odd that some would be grossed out about a thing like that, but if you choose to remain within that culture, it’s probably sensible to account for that. But I would bet it’s really not a big deal for anyone despite what they say. There are more important things going on whenever people end up in a situation where that comes up. I wouldn’t worry about that, but the again I don’t know your culture, maybe it is a big deal.

For me personally, I really like my “hood” so to say. Keeps the senses more heightened there when the delicate part does not chafe around and touch everything all the time. On top of that, I find much more hygienic to have a natural “shield” that is easy to clean and keep regulated in terms of pH and all. No doubt it would be more problematic in hot climates where there might be more sweating and stuff, that would require more intense and frequent upkeep, but here in the global North, I think it would be disadvantageous not to have the natural luxury.

Not only would I not want a circumsization, I find it actively harmful to myself and my personal health. I also find the practice extremely off-putting and horrifying, but then again all cultures come with their own “barbaric” traditions so to say, so I’m not about to yuck anyone’s yum. You do you, I say, live your best life.

It does come with some required upkeep and work, but so do our teeth. If you maintain them, they’re going to be healthy and beneficial overall. No need to cut them off in my opinion, just because it’s extra work. But that’s not the justification for the cut, so I also don’t mean to sound patronizing here. Just my view on it.

If I never understand how and why but I get to have that be the case then I am content.

This is a sane way to look at it, I think, so I commend you for staying so rational in face of something so unfortunate and life-changing.

I wish the best of luck to you, it seems you know what you are doing and my input was unwarranted. But I hope you see I was coming from a good place, even if the help was both unasked for and redundant. It’s not always the case, since ketogenic diet has found some popularity that has led it to trend a little bit among those not so inclined to actually read up on the topic or consider its consequences fully. Which is why I tend to offer my two cents when I happen upon the topic, even if I’m not an expert in the subject matter

Really appreciate the comment, thank you. Since I’ve had some education via my dietician and personal progress/experience, I’ve wanted to give my thoughts in case it helps. But here it seems you are much better up to date with these, and I’ve also got new perspective and reading from this. So thanks, again, especially for challenging my suggestions when it’s often risky here in internet as you’d often get negative pushback and most wouldn’t bother to subject themselves to that.

Monitoring personal health metrics is also helpful, especially lipids, ketones, glucose, fasting insulin, etc…

For whoever might be wondering about all this, I believe a lot of these can be tested from blood alone, which means it’s fairly fast and cheap. At least here, but here we have the benefit of a socialist democracy and its welfare system, I.e healthcare is essentially free. So especially if the latter applies to you too, you will not do any harm checking up on your levels from time to time!

For me, just a completely unrelated blood draw revealed problems with my blood glucose before it ever got to diabetes, and also revealed some (luckily minor) damage to my liver due to fatty liver. Which meant I was able, just by accidentally doing blood tests for something else, avoid these things getting worse and irreparable, and as it happens, ketogenic diet is very good for the latter (fatty liver, perhaps inner fat in general I think?), and fortunately in my case, it didn’t worsen the former either, so I managed to avoid the need for potentially expensive meds just by doing some diet education and changes, it was monitored full keto in the short term and later I was advised to return to more normal diet but with strictly reduced carbs so as to not let the problems resurface.

Just all to illustrate how just simple and quick tests like this can be accidentally good. I didn’t display any problems outwards, so I had no idea I was slowly sliding towards pre-diabetes and liver cirrchosis (really not sure how to spell that in English but I hope the word is similar and close enough).

And when doing any bigger diet changes, it’ll be good to have a baseline from before it, to compare against at different points of the diet.

Oh, this is new to me. If that is true, then that would still require balancing, since saturated fats come with other problems themselves. I suppose there’s no “clean” way to do anything at any rate, so it takes personal testing and monitoring. But I am fully willing to accept my recommendations might be outdated or misguided, and what you say is correct. It has been a while since I was on an overseen keto diet and things do change in time with new research and guidelines. To that end, I’d recommend checking out if that is indeed true, and if the new recommendations/consensus would make my point moot.

Either way, the fiber was a strong point when I was taught the diet by my doctor and a dietitian, and I can’t see that having changed. As far as I’m aware, fiber is a critical component of our gut health but also immune system robustness. And done right, it does nothing to affect the energy sourcing or glucose levels or whatever. I was given the rough guide of overall carbs - fibers = “final” carbs ingested. Not really sure how to translate that into English but I think it’s a common rule of thumb and you get the gist. Has that changed since?

But I’ll end on this note: Whatever I or someone say here on internet, best to double-check it all with your dietitian if doing an overseen diet, and yourself from internet if you’re doing it on your own.

Nutrition and health are no small things to play with. Our body is flexible and can survive a whole lot, in a lot of different situations, but there are prerequisites for it to thrive in a sustainable way. And there’s a fundamental distinction between just surviving/existing and thriving/being healthy.

On a keto based diet, you’ll need those fats. Perhaps consider something like sunflower oil instead though? Nuts also come with plenty of fats and have a lot of fiber too. Some have carbs more than others, so you’d have to check which ones fit your specific diet, but these are a great source of healthy fats and help keeping the gut biomes working well.

Edit: just to add, you could experiment with the fiber more. Long carbs have a very different effect on the body vs. short ones, so those, in moderation to keep the keto state up, could be okay for the partner too, and perhaps give more robustness/variety to the diet?

Yeah, the fundamental issue here too, ultimately, condenses down to tolerance and acceptance. Of other faiths, of other customs, of foreign ways to present or identify, of anything your faith or culture might not allow or actively do.

Just being able to accept or at the very least tolerate others, as they are, without trying to turn them, or, kill them if they won’t turn…

I can’t figure out why this is so hard for us humans, the majority of us at least, when it seems so… easy? Unless the difference is offensive to you, which, again, is just intolerance of difference. Just let them be and be your best self yourself. I can understand having a few words to try and sway them to be saved according to your faith or whatever, but failing that, just live your best life and I don’t know… maybe pray for them on your own or something if you’re truly worried about their soul or something. But dont go bothering them with that shit if they aren’t receptive. It seems so simple?

Yeah, it’s hard if the budget is literally zero, but if not, students get affordable monthly tickets to public transports at least around here, so that already makes it very possible to get around on the cheap. It’s not expensive to start with, at least anywhere where I’ve ever been to, as a local or as a tourist, so only in very extreme cases would that be a problem. Even then, asking around one can get lucky and get a used bike on the cheap, or for free from a relative or a friend. Depending on the city, the bike can be faster and more convenient, even, than public transport.

Once you can get around, a city turns into a treasure trove of possibilities and activities. Sure, there are expensive options, but also a huge variety of free or cheap options too! The toughest part is daring to go. It takes some bravery, especially if doing something or going somewhere for the first time, but it always gets easier and easier once you get through those first hurdles.

Edit: To add, there are almost always interesting places to spend a day in just outside the city proper. Or even a bit farther away, but still along the public transport routes or bike’s reach. Where I live, we have some public apple orchards for example, one can make a day out of going to pick a basketful of apples and having a picnic. In the winter there are fun slopes on some smaller hills that have publicly maintained slopes to go sledging in, make it a day with some hot chocolate and friends! Some smaller museums outside the city center are very affordable and can have quirky subjects and presentations. Even just biking or walking to some lake or park can be great, take some acoustic instruments or a boombox or something, sit around and chill, alone or with friends!

For things to do alone, at least in my city, we have public outdoor gyms spread around. Some of the farther ones don’t get much use, so I can usually be alone there when I go, it’s very zen especially in autumn when it’s a bit chilly. Local coffee shops and some bars have free exhibitions of local artists usually, same for libraries. Sometimes you can get lucky and have impromptu live music too, with no additional costs! Smaller local bands have very affordable tickets too, usually less than a pint. And if you’re a student, at least most places I’ve ever been to, you can get drinks on the cheap, if you’re not too picky about your vices.

This is all not even mentioning things like tabletop game groups that gather just for the fun of it, no cost. People bring games and you play, no need to own any yourself. Usually it’s coffee shops or bars, so there might be costs from the aux things like drinks, but you can participate with just water, who cares? Often these are advertised in said coffee shops with some printed paper on a wall, or maybe the various boards across the city and markets and whatnot that have adverts/notices etc.

The toughest thing, all in all, is daring to go. It really is the hardest part to be brave enough to go and do stuff. It’s not easy for anyone, but once you dare the one time, it gets easier from there, and gets fun very fast!

And in some part, the bravery it takes to go somewhere for the first time. It’s always going to be easier the second time, but the first time is always the hardest and easiest to skip/avoid/excuse by staying in one’s comfort zone.

Fair enough, that’d explain it. I did expect air conditioning to be a big part of it, kind of makes a lot of sense that you do run servers as well.

Still, that’s a huge bill to eat each month.

Yeah pretty sure all evil deeds start with good intentions. So, no. I would very likely mess up my own head by thinking I’m doing the right thing, and if I’m secure in my position as the leader, I’d have a big load of yes men hovering around enforcing and enabling my every thought and idea, be it good or not. Most likely it’ll tend towards the “not good” side over time, and at some point everything just gets distorted and convoluted and by that point, there’ll be no return. And if I’m not secure in my position, then I’ll be dead and replaced before I can spell out my first decree as the ruler. If I’m to be good, I’ll not be ready for the bad coming my way. If I’m ready for the bad shit, I have to be ready to dispense my own bad shit. And that, then, wraps into my first point.

There’s no way that would work if I was truly benevolent. I don’t believe it’s sustainable or even possible to lead as a dictator that is good or benevolent.

Edit: that’s in practical terms. Let’s not even begin with the ideals — can one really ever be both benevolent or just generally good, and a dictator? I believe not. Sharing the burden and the authority would almost always be the more moral choice, not to mention more plausible in terms of lasting.

I have personally never seen a bill of more than 60€ per month. I have some friends living in bigger houses, not apartments, and they tell they can get over 100 fairly frequently, the bigger ones more in the North can get over 200 in the winters, but even still, I’ve never even heard of anything reaching 300.

But I’m in my thirties and don’t really know anyone from beyond upper middle class. That might help explain my experience if it happens to be the outlier, but just reading the responses to this, I might not be the outlier here.

Anything four figures is just crazy surreal to me. I can not even imagine what it takes to reach that kind of electric usage. Or maybe it’s just extremely expensive, not the usage itself being crazy? I would think living in a place where sustaining one’s existence requires that kind of resource usage would be very hostile against settling and building in general?

But if it’s just personal usage rather than the regional climate or whatever, and an insane price of electricity isn’t the main reason, then I don’t even know what to say. That’s crazy.

I’ve used a single Sigg traveler bottle for ages, but I’ve had mold buildup on the cap seal. Luckily Sigg has the caps sold as spare parts, so I’ve only had to replace the cap a couple of times during all this time. But it’s been near 15 years I think now, lining intact and all. It’s got a bunch of dents from falling on hikes, sometimes down from pretty high cliffs, but I feel it only adds to its attitude sort of.

Not sure if I’d go for a Sigg today, I have stainless steel in my sights if this one ever proves ready for retirement, but Id definitely choose one that has either replaceable seals and seals sold as spare parts, or at least sells new caps as spare parts. And I’d for sure go with something similarly robust that can handle drops and getting banged around.

The cap design on the Sigg is pretty unbeatable though. It’s so natural for a finger when opening or closing and keeping the cap while drinking, but it also fits all sizes of carabiners or similar, so it’s just so handy to keep around on house but especially on hikes. I’m spoiled thanks to that, so I think there’s a high standard for whatever I’d choose next.

But I can really recommend the aluminum Sigg traveler. Today it has a lot more actually enticing competition, but it’s a classic choice at least around here in Northern Europe.

Edit: Worth noting; Siggs prior to 2008 had BPA in the lining. Mine has a yellow tint in the lining, which is the telltale sign of the BPA-free, safe one. Today, only the aluminium bottles are manufactured in Switzerland, the others are in China (which I think has been thanks to some brand-leeching Chinese acquisition at some point)

Edit2: I also have a lot of old military surplus water bottles from around Europe (similar form factor) simply because both my few-days-bag and longer hiking rig have MOLLE all over the surface, and the old ALICE (us standard from I think around 1970) and MOLLE (or similar, today almost everything in terms of military surplus has something that fits into it) pouches for the water bottles of that certain shape can be had for extremely cheap, and they are so robust in keeping them in place thanks both to the bottle shape and the MOLLE in general, and it’s so flexible.

I mostly use these to carry extra water as plan B but especially for boiling for food or coffee etc. all of them have a certain funky smell that never disappears, but I’ve tested them all by keeping plain water in them for a week or more, then pouring out and seeing how it looks to naked eye, and how it tastes. The smell on some of them can get into the water a little bit, but all taste normal and so far I’ve not got any problems from using them. I would assume the military of all institutions would take care to make these things valid for long term and active use, since, you know, water is pretty much the main driving force in ensuring troops can keep going. But because of the smell I tend not to go for them as the main bottle, ever.