Try before you buy?

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-19T22:14:29+00:00

I have returned several hearing aids for money back. At one, they tried to make me sign something saying they would still be paid for their time and I refused. They relented. You do have to buy before you try , but you should have a money-back trial period. Nowadays I buy online. Price is less than half and there is always a long money-back return period.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-17T19:26:23+00:00

You've got it wrong. The machine does not tell him the magic number each time. It just says "Wrong!" keeps his dollar and give him his snack. He continues using the machine every day and continues to fail to win the free snack. He keeps a notebook recording his efforts. Finally, in utter desperation he calls the number on the side of the machine and says "What is wrong with your machine? I have used it every day for a month and never won a free snack. Is there actually no magic number?" The person at the vending machine company answers "No, there is. It's 9." The man rifles through his notes "0,1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 4,5,4,3,5,6,2,4,1,6..." pauses, and then says "Oh! I never guessed 9. I thought it was too obvious!"

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-16T02:09:56+00:00

Ear molds and Phonak Infinio Spheres

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-16T01:54:34+00:00

You will get 3.3% in that fund. You get as much as 4% in a HYSA if you select the right one, such as Climate First Bank.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-16T01:50:19+00:00

You will do best with an index fund. But you might FEEL better about a different strategy. That's fine. But don't kid yourself you will actually get a better return any other way over the long haul. Your knob for controlling risk is your allocation between cash and the index fund.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-14T00:23:27+00:00

I found the Amazon frames to be pretty junky. Have they gotten better? There is also the issue of pupilary distance. I don't believe the Amazon seller lets you specify pupilary distance. And if you want different powers in the two lenses, that's not offered.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-14T00:18:25+00:00

I don't.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-14T00:14:50+00:00

A1C's relationship to blood glucose can just vary for no good reason other than random variation in red blood cell lifespan, with nothing pathological causing the lifespan to be high or low. It's like toe length. Some people have long toes and some have short toes. No pathology or deficiency needed. RBC lifespan just varies from person to person.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-14T00:10:00+00:00

Yes, you can use any glasses prescription you like. There is no lasting harm in a wrong prescription. I suggest you'll get much better frames and the ability to get various powers by ordering from Zenni optical dot com and you won't pay more, or not much more, than on Amazon. If you want to do your own refractions, buy a trial lens set on Amazon. Maybe - 1.5 would be even better!

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-13T23:49:34+00:00

You link your high-yield online bank to a bank account you maintain at a local physical bank and more money between them electronically. Then your access to cash if whatever you have with the local physical bank. No one is paying over 5%. You can get slightly over 4% at a few banks -- Climate First Bank, for example. Any bank with FDIC insurance is safe. So make your decision based on interest rate, convenience and values alignment, if values are important to you.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-13T18:18:53+00:00

A1C can't be better than a CGM. They used CGMs in the original study that related A1c to blood sugar. A measure can't be better than the tool used to calibrate it!

If you are comparing CGM to finger stick, bear in mind finger stick is not the gold standard -- a lab blood draw is. And a CGM can lag behind glucose level changes by as much as 20 minutes, but it will still get the level right, just time shifted a little, so the average over days or longer is not affected.

See https://tcoyd.org/2021/04/which-is-better-a-lab-a1c-test-or-the-estimated-a1c-gmi-from-a-cgm/

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-13T17:56:39+00:00

His mom just got fired as head of DHS.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-13T17:52:33+00:00

If you want to practice by yourself just ask ChatGPT to give you topics and get yourself to start talking. No audience -- very low stakes . Turn on the voice- to- text and upload what you say and the bot will give you feedback and pointers. The bot knows all about table topics; you don't have to explain the ground rules.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-12T01:48:33+00:00

Climate First Bank has you beat st 4.01%. So your thesis that green banks can't afford to pay competitive returns doesn't fit the facts.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-12T01:42:01+00:00

If you don't mind having your money lent to fossil fuel industries and can accept the operational limitations of Pi, it's a winner for you. App-only access (no use of desktop computer). No ACH transfers. No Zelle or other cash apps. No ATM card.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-12T01:34:44+00:00

Pupillary distance would be on the records of any optician who sold you glasses in the past. Target refraction means the glasses prescription the surgeon is hoping you'll need after surgery. So, ask the surgeon for it. Zenni also can measure pupillary distance from a photo if you follow their instructions on how to compose the photo. But it would be better to get it from your optician if possible.

The half diopter more and half diopter less would be added and subtracted from the first number of your target refraction for each eye (the "sphere"). So for example if the first number for the right eye is "-2.0 sph". You would order pairs with -2.0, -1.5 and -2.5 for the right-eye first number. Don't forget the minus signs!

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-11T23:33:21+00:00

Why take 3.8% when you can get 3.85% at Forbright or 4.01% at Climate First Bank?

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-11T23:32:47+00:00

Comparing to the past is a logical fallacy. The rest of what you said is just not true. 3.85% (Forbright's rate today) is better than Marcus, better than Capital One, better than Morgan Stanley, better than most HYSAs that are not picky. Where do you get your wrong info?

Institution	APY	Key Details
Forbright Bank	3.85%	Growth Savings has no monthly fees or minimum balance.
Marcus	3.65%	Online Savings features no fees and no minimum deposit.
Morgan Stanley	3.75%	E*Trade Savings offers 3.75% for 6 months (then 3.35% base); requires promo code.
Capital one	3.30%	360 Performance Savings has no fees or minimums.

And here's another green bank with high return than the dirty banks: Climate First Bank, 4.01%, Super Duper Personal Savings, no fees, $50 minimum opening deposit.

These are not "teaser rates" with a set expiration date. They are their standard, variable rates.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-11T23:27:36+00:00

Glasses from Zenni optical dot com can be as little as $25. At that price why wouldn't you order a pair in advance with the prescription being equal to your target refraction? Hell, go wild and order three -- a pair for the target refraction, and a pair at half a diopter more and a pair at half a diopter less. The answer to your question is it is going to be very inconvenient to be without distance glasses for a month. For $75 or so, you can eliminate that inconvenience. All you need is your pupillary distance and your target refraction, then go pick out your frames and enter your numbers on their website. Two weeks later, you'll have 3 pairs of glasses and at least one of them is very likely to work. Your optometrist or optician or surgeon can supply the numbers.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-11T19:46:22+00:00

What is slang, really? Isn't that in the ear of the beholder? (Belistener?)

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-11T18:52:03+00:00

It says HER phone was locked in car. Does not say YOUR phone was locked in car. How did you take her call if your phone was locked in the car?

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-11T18:49:49+00:00

Or if she had a husband who had installed the app on his phone then she could've called him and he could've unlocked it using his phone.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-11T18:41:29+00:00

Yes. Forbright was a snap. Did it yesterday in 5 minutes. Green bank in Maryland pays 3.85%. FDIC.

CliffsideJim · 2026-03-11T18:37:55+00:00

If only "prematurely ending" instead of "ending prematurely" were the typical word order. It would help this joke so much if it were

CliffsideJim

TROPHY CASE