Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[kristen111]

2 hours ago, ABay said:

Does anyone have a recommendation for noise canceling headphones? Due to asshole neighbors, I really need headphones that cancel other peoples' bass noise. I'll still be able to feel it, but it would be great not to actually have my head throbbing. Aside from being free from bass, comfort when worn with glasses, bluetooth connectivity, and a microphone would be swell. I have read so many reviews but no one gives priority to eliminating bass noise and no one addresses the problem of comfortable wear with glasses.

The guy next door started to use the bass noise.  My husband rang his bell and told him it was extremely annoying us.  The guy stopped.  Thank God, I would have gone nuts, no matter the time.

[BooksRule]

3 hours ago, ABay said:

Does anyone have a recommendation for noise canceling headphones? Due to asshole neighbors, I really need headphones that cancel other peoples' bass noise. I'll still be able to feel it, but it would be great not to actually have my head throbbing.

I don't have any suggestions, but I sympathize hugely.  When my neighbors to the north moved in about 5 years ago, the husband liked to go outside and play his country rock music at full blast on the back porch.  He would turn it down when I would ask, but after a week or so, he would crank it up again.  I was in a separate house with the air conditioning on, the TV on loud, and the dishes would shake in the cabinets. At some point (I'm sure for reasons unrelated to the music--I do know the police were called out for some reason at least once, but since I didn't call them, I don't know the details) after about a year, his wife kicked him out and it's been bliss for me every since.  She's a great neighbor (even with three small children who can be loud at times) and has even demonstrated that she can have a party with lots of people around (judging by the cars parked in the vicinity) without it being a loud event. My stomach still gets in a knot when I hear loud music in the area, though. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by BooksRule

[kristen111]

11 hours ago, BooksRule said:

I don't have any suggestions, but I sympathize hugely.  When my neighbors to the north moved in about 5 years ago, the husband liked to go outside and play his country rock music at full blast on the back porch.  He would turn it down when I would ask, but after a week or so, he would crank it up again.  I was in a separate house with the air conditioning on, the TV on loud, and the dishes would shake in the cabinets. At some point (I'm sure for reasons unrelated to the music--I do know the police were called out for some reason at least once, but since I didn't call them, I don't know the details) after about a year, his wife kicked him out and it's been bliss for me every since.  She's a great neighbor (even with three small children who can be loud at times) and has even demonstrated that she can have a party with lots of people around (judging by the cars parked in the vicinity) without it being a loud event. My stomach still gets in a knot when I hear loud music in the area, though. 

I’ve lived in six places in my life.  Only one place was quiet.  It was always something.  Some neighbors just don’t care to be civil.  Plus, you don’t know until you move in.

[Laura Holt]

1 minute ago, kristen111 said:

I’ve lived in six places in my life.  Only one place was quiet.  It was always something.  Some neighbors just don’t care to be civil.  Plus, you don’t know until you move in.

Same.  If it isn't noisy neighbors you find out you live closer to the highway than you realized or else the planes that go overhead are lower and louder and more frequent than they seemed the day you looked at the house!

Totally could never go back to sharing walls again though.  I sympathize with anyone with bad neighbors.

[JTMacc99]

18 hours ago, ABay said:

Does anyone have a recommendation for noise canceling headphones?

I bought Soundcore Q20 headphones ($45) about a year ago and wear them when mowing my lawn.

I listened to the radio broadcast of the US Open golf tournament yesterday, with no problems, over the sound of the mower. 

 

[annzeepark914]

Who died and told people they could break the sound barrier with their mega sound systems--the kind where the bass notes are felt as well as heard, even through walls of houses?  

[peacheslatour]

16 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Who died and told people they could break the sound barrier with their mega sound systems--the kind where the bass notes are felt as well as heard, even through walls of houses?  

We have a guy (why is it always a guy?) around here who not only breaks the sound barrier with his music but he rides a really loud motorcycle on top of it. I hate that guy.

[Laura Holt]

We've been lucky here with regard to neighbors and music but we have some idiot with a small car but a souped up engine or  no muffler or something who seems to spend a lot of his time just driving up and down the streets around here.  So irritating.  You can hear it faintly in the house but it is ridiculously loud if you are outside.  Supposedly they are cracking down on noisy cars but they've got to catch them first and I doubt this is a priority for the police.

[JTMacc99]

48 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Who died and told people they could break the sound barrier with their mega sound systems--the kind where the bass notes are felt as well as heard, even through walls of houses?  

I know I like loud music, although I don't feel like it's my job to share it with the world, so I wondered if the Internet could answer the question about why this is true about me.  The National Library of Medicine happens to have a study looking at this exact question. Scroll down to 3.2 where they start discussing all of the reasons they discovered why people said they like loud music.

38 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

We have a guy (why is it always a guy?)

One of the reasons in the study that people enjoy loud music/sounds is that "Loud sounds, particularly music, were seen as a form of ‘escapism’ to distract people from their thoughts and feelings."

There's one reason. We're sure as hell not going to talk about our feelings. so might as well drown them out. Plus we get to buy cool stuff like motorcycles and sub-woofers as side benefit as part of this plan.

[PRgal]

55 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

We have a guy (why is it always a guy?) around here who not only breaks the sound barrier with his music but he rides a really loud motorcycle on top of it. I hate that guy.

Is he…ummm…of a certain age (or beyond that certain age)?  Does he have one of those loud cars (or motorcycle) as well?  My mom said her friend’s husband recently bought an all electric sports car.  Since it’s an EV, it makes fake noise to sound like a regular gas sports car.  The guy is in his late 70s, so beyond mid-life crisis mode.  Guy bought it without consulting with her! 

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

Is he…ummm…of a certain age (or beyond that certain age)?  Does he have one of those loud cars (or motorcycle) as well?  My mom said her friend’s husband recently bought an all electric sports car.  Since it’s an EV, it makes fake noise to sound like a regular gas sports car.  The guy is in his late 70s, so beyond mid-life crisis mode.  Guy bought it without consulting with her! 

I'd say the guy is mid to late twenties. He rides some kind of loud bike. It could be a Harley, I've never looked but now that summer is almost upon us, he'll be going by all the time. I even hear him in the middle of the night. 😡

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 6/18/2023 at 6:01 PM, ABay said:

Does anyone have a recommendation for noise canceling headphones? Due to asshole neighbors, I really need headphones that cancel other peoples' bass noise.

Shop real carefully if you're wanting to reduce bass sounds.  I wanted some for neighbor-type noise like slamming doors and barking dogs, but found out they don't really work well for noise like that.  They're good at reducing a consistent sound, I guess you'd call it--like the noise in an airplane. 

After talking to several people who know about this sort of thing, I decided not to even try any, because of the particular noise I want to block.  Maybe they would work okay if had music going through them when a dog barks, but I'm not confident they would, plus I don't want to have music--I just want silence.

Here's my simplistic (and simple-minded) understanding:  Noise canceling relies on the headphones detecting a sound and emitting a selected different sound that cancels that particular sound out.  They can do that in a "rough" way, like with the constant roar inside an airplane, but can't do it quickly and precisely enough to work on punctuated or staccato sounds.

It's the same problem with hearing aids that claim to make conversation clear in loud environments--it's simply impossible to effectively do that in real time. 

I'm not sure what kind of bass you're hearing.  It might be a dull roar type that noise-canceling headphones would work on.  That would be great, obviously.  But at least be aware that not all sounds are the same, and products make all sorts of promises but technology can only do so much.

Something else you might try:  I was once getting a mold fitted for a hearing aid, where they inject that putty that fills up your ear canal.  Mr. Outlier and the audiologist were sitting there three feet from me talking while it set up and I could hear absolutely nothing.  So I bought some silicone ear plugs at the drug store and they work pretty darn well.  Vastly better than foam ear plugs.  Although I push the silicone ones way farther into my ear canal than they recommend, for the best blockage possible.  But I'm a pro--my audiologist even said she trusts me to use q-tips way down in my ears.  😀

But something else with bass sounds--I wonder if it's possible you're hearing the sound through feeling it as well as through your ears, which is definitely possible with bass.  If that's the case it's probably gonna be real hard to combat.

[oliviabenson]

Cold watermelon hits the spot in the summer heat. 
 

 

[annzeepark914]

Are there any watermelons sold that have the original big black seeds (as opposed to the tiny white seeds found in "seedless" watermelons)?

[Bastet]

27 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Are there any watermelons sold that have the original big black seeds (as opposed to the tiny white seeds found in "seedless" watermelons)?

I greatly prefer those!  Only one local market in my area has them; other than that, they're just at farmers' markets. 

[theredhead77]

On the topic of earplugs, I recommend Loops. I have "Experience" for concerts, and "Engage" for work. They also have "quiet" to block all noise. The Experience Plus and Engage Plus also come with a "mute" accessory" to block all noise. If you buy from their website they have a 100 day trial, if you buy from Amazon, it's the standard 30 day return policy.

 

29 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Are there any watermelons sold that have the original big black seeds (as opposed to the tiny white seeds found in "seedless" watermelons)?

I've bought regular watermelon that has the black seeds. Just be sure you aren't buying "seedless" of any variety and you should be golden.

[Quof]

9 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Are there any watermelons sold that have the original big black seeds (as opposed to the tiny white seeds found in "seedless" watermelons)

I'm tired of the GD "peaches and cream" corn, which has been genetically modified to remove all flavour. Can we please have old fashioned yellow corn?  And it pisses me off to see a display labelled "yellow corn" when it's not yellow. 

[BlueSkies]

I bought a Playboy off eBay for a few dollars.  The one that had Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell on the cover.

 

It was one of those things I really really wanted as a kid (no pun intended) but couldn’t have.  The whole nostalgic thing or feeling going for 

[JTMacc99]

4 hours ago, Quof said:

I'm tired of the GD "peaches and cream" corn, which has been genetically modified to remove all flavour. Can we please have old fashioned yellow corn?  And it pisses me off to see a display labelled "yellow corn" when it's not yellow. 

Agreed!

I'm fortunate enough to live in the vicinity of several places where I can drive to the farm stand that is selling the corn they grew right there. I have my choices of bi-color, yellow, and white depending on where I go, although bi-color is the most popular choice around here. 

[oliviabenson]

Why is it so hard to make friends??? People are so flaky/rude.

[emma675]

3 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

I'm fortunate enough to live in the vicinity of several places where I can drive to the farm stand that is selling the corn they grew right there. 

Now I'm craving corn. I used to hand shuck it with my grandmother in the summer and it was the sweetest, tastiest corn in the world. Even farm stand corn now doesn't taste quite as good as corn from the grocery store in the 80s. I wondered what's changed? The soil, fertilizers, the environment? It's sad.

[Mittengirl]

Since my mother passed away six weeks ago, I would like to discontinue the landline phone service I kept for her convenience - for those who have done the same, were there any people/places you forgot that caused an issue?  I have done family/friends and the financial/insurance services.  No need to notify her medical providers.  Utilities are in my name so already have my cell number.  In the weeks since her death, I think the landline has gotten maybe a half-dozen “real” phone calls, if that, all from family.

[JTMacc99]

26 minutes ago, emma675 said:

I wondered what's changed? The soil, fertilizers, the environment?

Best guess would be the varieties. It's better for farmers to grow hybrid varieties developed to be disease resistant and consistent with the size, crop volume, and appearance than for them to grow older heirloom types that don't have all of those things but taste amazing. 

I know that's the deal with tomatoes, so I'm just spit-balling that the same thing probably happened with corn. 

If anybody is curious, this is Victory Seed's sweet corn selection where you can browse through old heirloom varieties or newer hybrid selections.

 

[theredhead77]

12 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

Since my mother passed away six weeks ago, I would like to discontinue the landline phone service I kept for her convenience - for those who have done the same, were there any people/places you forgot that caused an issue?  I have done family/friends and the financial/insurance services.  No need to notify her medical providers.  Utilities are in my name so already have my cell number.  In the weeks since her death, I think the landline has gotten maybe a half-dozen “real” phone calls, if that, all from family.

No suggestions but maybe you can set it up to forward to a Google Voice number for a month or so just to be sure. 6 weeks is a solid amount of time to keep it going and most businesses aren't going to be calling. 

I'm sorry for your loss. 

[PRgal]

14 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

Best guess would be the varieties. It's better for farmers to grow hybrid varieties developed to be disease resistant and consistent with the size, crop volume, and appearance than for them to grow older heirloom types that don't have all of those things but taste amazing. 

I know that's the deal with tomatoes, so I'm just spit-balling that the same thing probably happened with corn. 

If anybody is curious, this is Victory Seed's sweet corn selection where you can browse through old heirloom varieties or newer hybrid selections.

 

This is also why some people who are gluten-sensitive in North America can tolerate gluten in some parts of Europe.  And some people who are dairy-free here can have dairy in New Zealand, where A2 only dairy is very common.  

[oliviabenson]

Feeling witchy and mean today. Need a hug and coffee lol. 

Edited June 20, 2023 by oliviabenson

[peacheslatour]

26 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Feeling witchy and mean today. Need a hug and coffee lol. 

🤗☕

[oliviabenson]

1 hour ago, Mittengirl said:

Since my mother passed away six weeks ago, I would like to discontinue the landline phone service I kept for her convenience - for those who have done the same, were there any people/places you forgot that caused an issue?  I have done family/friends and the financial/insurance services.  No need to notify her medical providers.  Utilities are in my name so already have my cell number.  In the weeks since her death, I think the landline has gotten maybe a half-dozen “real” phone calls, if that, all from family.

My condolences.

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

I'm fortunate enough to live in the vicinity of several places where I can drive to the farm stand that is selling the corn they grew right there.

Same here.  My parents used to grow it when I was a kid, but then it didn't grow well anymore.  Everything else did with the soil amendments they mixed in (their soil is decomposed granite, since they're in the hills, and it needs help), but not the corn, so they just started buying it from farms.  They tried growing another crop a few years ago, and it didn't yield enough to be worth the effort, so back to the farm stands. 

Corn and tomatoes are two things I will not buy at the grocery store, only from a farm or garden.

[Laura Holt]

48 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Corn and tomatoes are two things I will not buy at the grocery store, only from a farm or garden.

Grocery store tomatoes have no flavor - or at least those from the grocery stores I go to anyway.  They taste like they've been refrigerated even when they are just out on a shelf.

[JTMacc99]

40 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Corn and tomatoes are two things I will not buy at the grocery store, only from a farm or garden.

I'll buy cherry tomatoes and the occasional plum tomato for pico de gallo at the grocery store, but other than that, I'm with you 100%.  My window for fresh corn and tomatoes is pretty much July, August, and September. 

I'm sure I've mentioned it here before; I fell in with the heirloom tomato nerds on the internet like 20 years ago and grow all of mine from seed every year. Usually have 18 plants and at least 4 different varieties. I've got 5 different kinds going this year.

45 minutes ago, Bastet said:

They tried growing another crop a few years ago, and it didn't yield enough to be worth the effort, so back to the farm stands. 

Growing your own corn is quite a project. It's wind pollenated, which means you need to grow a pretty substantial number of plants in a big square just to make sure it works. They are big plants which require a lot of water and space and nutrients. It's just a lot of work to get a decent amount of harvest. 

Corn is best outsourced to somebody with the space to grow it efficiently, but you'll be at the mercy of whatever variety they choose to grow. 

[kristen111]

Anyone interested in Joan Rivers?  I’ve been binging about her move from N.Y. To her daughter Melissa’s house to live before she died at 81.  It’s free on Roku.  Tells about her life with her daughter and Grandson in Malibu.  

1 minute ago, kristen111 said:

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by kristen111

[SuprSuprElevated]

On 6/19/2023 at 1:16 PM, JTMacc99 said:

I bought Soundcore Q20 headphones ($45) about a year ago and wear them when mowing my lawn.

I listened to the radio broadcast of the US Open golf tournament yesterday, with no problems, over the sound of the mower. 

 

Ordered based on ^this (no pressure). Need to be able to hear my phone ring while mowing, in case my DH gets in trouble or needs me for something. Even on vibrate in my pocket, I just don't hear/feel it.

[annzeepark914]

3 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Feeling witchy and mean today. Need a hug and coffee lol. 

I haven't had that strange feeling in years. Back then, I'd say I felt like biting someone's ankle--grrrrowlll...arf!! 😖

[JTMacc99]

1 hour ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Ordered based on ^this (no pressure). Need to be able to hear my phone ring while mowing, in case my DH gets in trouble or needs me for something. Even on vibrate in my pocket, I just don't hear/feel it.

I just tested my pair to make sure this is true, which it is:

If you have a ringtone set up for his calls and texts, whatever you are listening to on the headphones will drop down in volume and the ringtone will play. 

So you could be blasting Bad Religion by Godsmack in your ears as you're mowing the back forty, and if he calls, Godsmack will quiet down and you'll hear the ringtone letting you know you've got an incoming call.

[oliviabenson]

42 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

I haven't had that strange feeling in years. Back then, I'd say I felt like biting someone's ankle--grrrrowlll...arf!! 😖

Definitely yes for me today! 

[oliviabenson]

A dollar tree opened 4 blocks away. It’s not too bad. It used to be a Walgreens!

[peacheslatour]

Is this really a thing?

 

The Perilous Rice Myth: A Single Grain’s Deadly Journey

“My Asian parents strongly believe that if you eat rice and then do any form of physical activity, then you risk having a single grain of rice falling into some crevice in your stomach/intestine and cause a huge infection, ultimately leading to death.” This deeply ingrained old wives’ tale shared on Reddit sheds light on a captivating belief held by many Asian parents. While it may sound far-fetched, this notion underscores the influence of cultural beliefs on perceptions of food and physical activity.

[PRgal]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Is this really a thing?

 

The Perilous Rice Myth: A Single Grain’s Deadly Journey

“My Asian parents strongly believe that if you eat rice and then do any form of physical activity, then you risk having a single grain of rice falling into some crevice in your stomach/intestine and cause a huge infection, ultimately leading to death.” This deeply ingrained old wives’ tale shared on Reddit sheds light on a captivating belief held by many Asian parents. While it may sound far-fetched, this notion underscores the influence of cultural beliefs on perceptions of food and physical activity.

Eating too much cold food freaks older Asians out a lot.  There’s a food trend among mainland Chinese millennials of eating “white people food” (or rather, #whitepeoplefood since they’re posting it on social) like cold cuts/deli meats.

https://wapo.st/46hXNWV

Growing up, my grandmother would insist on pouring warm milk over cold cereal, which I found revolting.  She never “got” why I liked the foods I did, though she was okay with me eating cold sandwiches at school. 

 

[peacheslatour]

9 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Eating too much cold food freaks older Asians out a lot.  There’s a food trend among mainland Chinese millennials of eating “white people food” (or rather, #whitepeoplefood since they’re posting it on social) like cold cuts/deli meats.

https://wapo.st/46hXNWV

Growing up, my grandmother would insist on pouring warm milk over cold cereal, which I found revolting.  She never “got” why I liked the foods I did, though she was okay with me eating cold sandwiches at school. 

 

I wonder why? There's usually a good historical reason for food restrictions, like Jewish people not eating pork because of trichinosis. 

[PRgal]

36 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I wonder why? There's usually a good historical reason for food restrictions, like Jewish people not eating pork because of trichinosis. 

Probably related to old wive’s tales or other myths.  Or just because of the lack of refrigeration to keep food safe back in the day?  I was just told that I’d “get sick.”

[peacheslatour]

6 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Probably related to old wive’s tales or other myths.  Or just because of the lack of refrigeration to keep food safe back in the day?  I was just told that I’d “get sick.”

I bet that was it, lack of refrigeration.

[nokat]

48 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Probably related to old wive’s tales or other myths.  Or just because of the lack of refrigeration to keep food safe back in the day?  I was just told that I’d “get sick.”

Oh right, there is some really bad things that can grow in warm leftover rice. Deadly. Here it is, "Bacillus cereus." 

[Quof]

Ok, guys.  What's today's date?   Have I entered a time warp? 

I just saw a comment from a poster whose name I didn't recognize, so I hovered on the user name and learned 1.  It was their first post ever, and 2. They have been a member since July, 2020.   What???? And the topic on which they posted wasn't even that interesting, not sure how it was the one thing that finally prodded them to express an opinion. 

[Kitty Redstone]

So, news from the sea the past few weeks has been fascinating, strange and sad. Orcas sinking ships, sharks attacking a boat a la Jaws, the missing submersible and the multi-country search for it, and a German boat captain who is facing charges because she rescues people who don't happen to be wealthy.

[SoMuchTV]

11 minutes ago, Quof said:

Ok, guys.  What's today's date?   Have I entered a time warp? 

I just saw a comment from a poster whose name I didn't recognize, so I hovered on the user name and learned 1.  It was their first post ever, and 2. They have been a member since July, 2020.   What???? And the topic on which they posted wasn't even that interesting, not sure how it was the one thing that finally prodded them to express an opinion. 

Well, that could have been me on any number of forums. I tend to lurk quite a while and get a sense of the place before I post. And it’s hard to say what might have been the thing that prompted me to post. 

I’d be more concerned about the poster who joined this morning and posted a link to their blog. 

[BlueSkies]

I think work messes with my diet.

I get up each morning at 6:30 and just eat some pieces of bread.  No real appetite.

 

Even by noon I get a little hungry but not a big appetite.

 

By 3 though I start to get like real hungry.  I get home around 6 and munch on crackers and bread and chips until dinner at like 7-7:30.  My problem is sometimes I eat so much junk ahead of dinner I lose my appetite for solid food 

[theredhead77]

2 hours ago, Kitty Redstone said:

So, news from the sea the past few weeks has been fascinating, strange and sad. Orcas sinking ships, sharks attacking a boat a la Jaws, the missing submersible and the multi-country search for it, and a German boat captain who is facing charges because she rescues people who don't happen to be wealthy.

Nature is pissed at humanity and is taking back their oceans. 

[Kitty Redstone]

The orca and shark incidents are very strange! Sadly the behavior of humans is par for the course. I don't want to say any more than that, as the divergent responses in rescue attempts could be construed as political.

So I'll just say that the technology that's being deployed to try to find the missing submersible/tin can that people had themselves bolted into is amazing. It's not just the planes and boats and sonar but the recovery equipment itself. Just ingenious. There are some very, very smart scientists and engineers out there and I sure am grateful for them.

Has anyone ever read the book Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea? If not, it was about the recovery of gold on a sunken 19th century paddle wheeler by a private company. I read the book many years ago and came away with a healthy dislike of the man who ran that company and even the author of the book. The hubris and greed of people like that has been on my mind the last few days.

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Kitty Redstone
Correcting the book title; got them mixed up!

[nokat]

For people who fly (on planes, not brooms; sorry witches 😸) how do you entertain yourselves? Do you sleep, do you read, do you watch a movie or listen to music?

It's been a while. I usually read or do crossword puzzles. I have a loaded kindle and some music on the phone. I have a window seat because I can stare out the window for hours.

I'm terrified that my IBS will kick in so I'm thinking of the most dull food I can eat the day before the flight.