What's on your mind today?

[Davin]

I think I want to pick up paragliding. It's only a few grand for the gear, so I'm going to try saving up for it, and there's a sweet spot to launch from not too far from where I live.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Is there a "bunny slope" for beginners?

[Tom62]

I've been trying out a second pair of hearing aids. These "new" ones (Oticon Ruby 2) sound a bit better, but they only work with an iPhone, for streaming audio and making phone calls.

[Dark Lightning]

I'm going to try some therapy first, before I go to hearing aids. That's where I'll end up, though. Working around machinery has given me some hearing loss and tinnitus.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

I'm going to try some therapy first, before I go to hearing aids. That's where I'll end up, though. Working around machinery has given me some hearing loss and tinnitus.

I have the same problem, except mine was probably caused from too much loud music.  I've tried supplements for the tinnitus, which came on suddenly a few months ago, but it hasn't worked.  I'll probably go for hearing aids early next year.

You know, there is a stigma with hearing aids, which is ridiculous.  There is little or no stigma for glasses or contacts. Both do the same thing, just for different organs.

[Magdalena]

I have the same problem, except mine was probably caused from too much loud music.
...

Wow!

[Dark Lightning]

I'm going to try some therapy first, before I go to hearing aids. That's where I'll end up, though. Working around machinery has given me some hearing loss and tinnitus.

I have the same problem, except mine was probably caused from too much loud music.  I've tried supplements for the tinnitus, which came on suddenly a few months ago, but it hasn't worked.  I'll probably go for hearing aids early next year.

You know, there is a stigma with hearing aids, which is ridiculous.  There is little or no stigma for glasses or contacts. Both do the same thing, just for different organs.

I think that is has to do with deaf people not speaking...being dumb (speaking) in the literal sense spilling over to being dumb in the pejorative sense (stupid). That may be part of the reason that I'm hesitating on getting them, as I think about it, because I've seen how a lot of deaf people are treated. I matriculated at California State University in Northridge, and there was a school for the deaf there. Some people are pretty immature, but that's part of the university experience, I guess. I'd seen some of the kids mocking the deaf people.  I had foot surgery a year ago May and was using one of the riding carts at CostCo, and got some pretty rude treatment from other shoppers, like walking right in front of the cart and stopping. So hearing isn't the only disparaged condition.

[Icarus]

Ecurb, DL, I have used hearing aids for several years and have not observed any absence of decency by others.  If I had noticed anything like that I would have merely assigned the thought; " ignorant asshole",  to them......or  something even less polite.

I have not seen much or any disrespect for people in wheel chairs or blind people.  Morbidly obese people are the ones who are more often disrespected. They are too often regarded as being irresponsibly gluttonous, which may or may not be the the case.

I still have a Body mass index (BMI) of about 24 so I am pretty trim. In spite of my good fortune I cannot, in the name of common decency, condemn the obese.....nor the people with thick glasses, hearing aids, oxygen cannisters, or crutches.   For those who are rudely critical I assign a profane mental description, which is not a nice thing to think.

There might be some sort of unwarranted stigma about needing hearing aids.  The manufacturers build some of them that they call CIEC models. That means completely in ear canal. Thus there is no visible presence.  The others that have a small module that hides behind the ear is not noticeable. If you wear glasses the ear pieces of the glasses almost hide the module. The tiny wire that connects the module to the ear insert is almost invisible.

Vanity be damned. That ain't the holdup.  It is the exorbitant prices that we are forced to pay..

[Dark Lightning]

Ecurb, DL, I have used hearing aids for several years and have not observed any absence of decency by others.  If I had noticed anything like that I would have merely assigned the thought; " ignorant asshole",  to them......or  something even less polite.

I have not seen much or any disrespect for people in wheel chairs or blind people.  Morbidly obese people are the ones who are more often disrespected. They are too often regarded as being irresponsibly gluttonous, which may or may not be the the case.

I still have a Body mass index (BMI) of about 24 so I am pretty trim. In spite of my good fortune I cannot, in the name of common decency, condemn the obese.....nor the people with thick glasses, hearing aids, oxygen cannisters, or crutches.   For those who are rudely critical I assign a profane mental description, which is not a nice thing to think.

There might be some sort of unwarranted stigma about needing hearing aids.  The manufacturers build some of them that they call CIEC models. That means completely in ear canal. Thus there is no visible presence.  The others that have a small module that hides behind the ear is not noticeable. If you wear glasses the ear pieces of the glasses almost hide the module. The tiny wire that connects the module to the ear insert is almost invisible.

Vanity be damned. That ain't the holdup.  It is the exorbitant prices that we are forced to pay..

Bolding mine. Indeed, my MiL's hearing aids cost close to $8k! She got free batteries for 2 or 3 years, though. 

[Icarus]

Free batteries are a poor substitute for such a price.  Batteries, if you shop for them at places like Sam's club or Costco, are not wickedly expensive.  A pair of batteries, one for each earpiece, will last me for about 5 to 6 days.  They cost about 31 to 35 cents each.  A little math............365/5 =73 annual changes.  73 x (2 x35) = $51.10 per year.

On the other hand if you buy name brand batteries, in those little packets, from Walgreens or CVS or Your Super market grocery store, the price is way more serious .  Some of the Hearing aid sellers also sell batteries at deep discount prices. 

Three years worth of batteries amounts to a pittance when big dollars are involved. Eight grand is outright larceny.

[Dark Lightning]

Batteries from CVS.  We did it a couple of times. We use a lot of LR44 batteries. They are 3 for $5 or $6 at the hardware store. I bought 40 online for $8, shipped, this year. They have a sell by date of 2020, and I have one card of 10 left. If we were still able to go to the local Senior Center, I'd just give away the remainder if I couldn't use them. At 20¢ apiece, what do I care? I'll probably do the same with hearing aid batteries.

[Tank]

Just been to see the grandsprouts playing football (soccer) this morning. Very wet, very cold and very muddy!

[Tom62]

The previous hearing aids that I tried had rechargeable batteries. I find them more practical and better for the environment than the non-rechargable ones. I agree with Icarus that these things are frigging expensive  The way I see it, these things are nothing more than Apple Airpods with a microphone. The costs to produce them should probably be between 50 to 200 dollars, depending on features like Bluetooth support etc. This makes the hearing aid industry a highly profitable business.

Interestingly enough the audiologist had also a "special" offer for batteries. The same batteries I found on Amazon for less than a quarter of the price! Talking about ripping people off.

[Dark Lightning]

Rechargeable batteries look like a good way to go. Once I get hearing aids it'll definitely be something to look into. When I talked to the Audiologist last week, I was at a point where I didn't want them. But looking online at the exercises that are supposed to improve (diminish) tinnitus, they look like woo, to me. Does anyone have experience with exercises to reduce tinnitus?

[Tank]

Meandering thoughts of an ape with just enough brains to be dangerous.

"Humanity no longer needs mythology to understand its place in the Universe.

There is no evidence to even remotely suggest that the Universe was created by some sort of supernatural entity. In fact quite the opposite is the case.

There is no evidence to even remotely suggest that the Earth was created by some sort of supernatural entity. In fact quite the opposite is the case.

There is no evidence to even remotely suggest that humanity is descended from a single pair of created ancestors. In fact quite the opposite is the case.

To believe something without evidence is irrational. To understand that humanity does not know or understand everything is rational.

Religions are institutionalised superstitions, in other words emotionally satisfying guesswork. Science is institutionalised curiosity, in other words the structured seeking of knowledge and understanding based on evidence.

Irrational belief is pointless and meaningless. Rational understanding is the foundation of progress. Humanity progresses because of rational thought not believing the myths of our ancestors."