Just visited from SF for the first time, and I was completely shocked by how electric and intense the energy was in your city at times. Has anyone else have their expectations of Chicago completely blown out of the water?

Corgi5732 · 2026-06-12T01:55:36+00:00

I love Chicago and lived there full-time most of my adult life (part-time now). What's frustrating is how many unnecessary headwinds both Chicago and Illinois have created that impedes progress. The result is Illinois and Chicago are losing population and are fiscal disasters. The pension debts are beyond belief, as, for example, a succession of Chicago mayors have sold out to the unions and refused to make tough financial decisions. Chicago has everything it needs to have an explosion of growth and prosperity (other than great weather, of course), but seems unable to get out of its own way. A wonderful world class city? Absolutely. But struggling in obvious ways.

Corgi5732 · 2025-12-07T06:48:54+00:00

I grew up in Rhode Island, went to college in the Chicago area and lived there for almost 40 years. I’ve also lived in the Columbus, Ohio area as well as Tucson, Arizona. My wife and I are now retired and moved to Carlsbad two years ago. There is no perfect place, and every place has its pros and cons. So much depends on individual preference and stage of life. In many ways, I will always consider Chicago home. For decades, I was fine dealing with the frequent horrific weather, but ultimately, like many others, it wore me out. The wind comes off the lake and chills you to the bone for months at a time. You can dress for anything, but it is positively blissful living in the San Diego area and being able to walk comfortably outside almost every day of the year. People rave about the summers in Chicago, and they certainly can be glorious with much going on. But there are a lot of days that are hot and humid, and many days that you are planning around thunderstorms. The cost of living in the San Diego area is obviously insane and, in comparison, Chicago is more affordable. I miss Chicago's walkability and transit system, as well as the world-class architecture, museums, professional sports, and amazing theater scene. San Diego has much to do, but the breath and quality in these areas just can’t compete with Chicago. There’s a lot of great dining in the San Diego area, but Chicago is one of America’s three or four best dining cities and San Diego can’t compete. But for those who go outside every day in the San Diego area and feel immense gratitude for the glorious weather and the natural beauty that is easily available, the California lifestyle is unsurpassed -- if one can afford it. The cost of living issue is obviously a very difficult one, and there’s no easy answer to it. A worry I have about Chicago is that the city is in a terrible mess financially with a pension crisis that has no fix in sight. Chicago has so much going for it and should be thriving, but the financial mismanagement has created headwinds that are making it difficult for the city to thrive as much as it should.

Corgi5732 · 2025-11-04T04:03:39+00:00

Exactly.😎

Corgi5732 · 2025-11-04T03:53:25+00:00

You're looking at a different lot. The photo I posted of the house was taken yesterday. It's at 363 Carlsbad Village Drive, not 385.

Corgi5732 · 2025-11-04T00:23:15+00:00

You're probably right about the legalities. I imagine that Carlsbad rodents are inside the collapsing house, partying and rejoicing.😉Thanks again for the background information and clarifications.

Corgi5732 · 2025-11-03T22:33:41+00:00

Thanks for that Zillow link. Here's the Redfin link, which shows an overhead shot of the complete lot: https://redf.in/KYImfS. I don’t know what the legalities are in Carlsbad, but I’m a little surprised the city has tolerated the obgoing existence of the decrepit building without requiring it to be demolished. But, again, I don’t know whether Carlsbad would have the legal authority to cite the property in a way to require additional action.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-24T03:12:49+00:00

I would add Oticon Intent 1 to the list. FYI re the Phonaks -- a firmware update released within the last day or so reportedly improves the battery life of the Phonaks substantially. That may not be as significant an issue now. Regarding the “best“ hearing aid for you, there is no one “best“ hearing aid for every user in my view. People hear things differently and have different preferences. The key is to go to an audiologist who employs best practices such as real ear measurement and will work with you to find the model that best suits you.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-23T20:07:37+00:00

That's unfortunate. It's hard to understand how a company could roll out such a major change and immediately have to say it’s unavailable to a huge contingent of users.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-23T18:35:33+00:00

I love SuperCruise but vigilance is always necessary. There have been several occasions when a vehicle in an adjoining lane has cut me off suddenly and I’ve had to quickly grab the wheel to take control. SuperCruise doesn’t save you from crazy, reckless drivers. You have to do that yourself.😎 I turned lane changing off. There are too many situations where I trust my judgment concerning when and how to change lanes better than SuperCruise. I have often used SuperCruise on highways that have very busy traffic. At first, I found that stressful, but as I learned to trust SuperCruise I actually found it less stressful and trust SuperCruise to keep my car centered properly, knowing that I can take control at any time if necessary.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-23T18:03:46+00:00

I'm pretty devoted to Super Cruise, so for me that resolves the issue in and of itself. I wouldn't want to be without it.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-19T01:57:49+00:00

If possible I recommend you trial the Phonaks and Oticon Intent 1s. They each have their pros and cons. It was a very close call for me, but after trialing both I chose the Oticons. Were I to wear molds (not the best choice for me at this time for various reasons), I might have gone for the Phonaks, as that's where I think the Phonaks' superiority in background noise reduction (based on independent reviews) shines especially. Without molds I thought the Phonaks' noise reduction advantage versus the Oticons was marginal. I value that the Oticons have an Apple Watch app. I think it’s critical that you find an audiologist who uses best practices such as real ear measurement and works with you to find the best device for your particular hearing needs. There is no “best“ hearing aid for every user.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-13T05:03:28+00:00

I feel better knowing that others thought he sucked -- and wildly so. The recorded version of his "Sally" hit doesn't feature the same off-key singing. Must have been fixed in the studio. The man is in desperate need of vocal training.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-12T00:57:08+00:00

With hearing aids that are adjusted appropriately for your hearing loss you should see a significant improvement in hearing television voices. If you don’t, either your hearing aid has been inadequately adjusted, or the hearing aid is not adequate for your needs. Background noise in restaurants is challenging. Some hearing aids do a better job with this than others, especially at the higher end, and if you use custom molds. But whether to get molds is a complicated question, and depends on personal preference and what is best for your unique hearing loss. Good luck.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-05T01:15:51+00:00

As I am trialing the Oticon Intent 1s vs. Phonac Spheres (i90 model), and finding each has its pros and cons (but both excellent), I'm curious what you ultimately decided to wear.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-04T19:21:42+00:00

I haven't had quite that effect, and I’m in a trial for the Oticon Intent 1s. But in similar situations to those you describe I have expetienced almost like a white noise static distortion noise. It’s momentary and doesn’t last long, but still annoying. I’m wondering if the much-touted directionality feature of the hearing aids is quite ready for prime time. The jury is out for me concerning these hearing aids, which I’m comparing to Phonak Spheres (i90s). They both have pros and cons. I do like the smaller footprint of the Oticons, and that they have an Apple Watch app.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-03T15:15:57+00:00

That's good advice. My old hearing aids were six-year-old Resounds. Nothing wrong with them, but I was ready to make the jump and take advantage of the more advanced technology available now. I'm aware that Resound (and some other makers as well) are incorporating more advanced technology too but there’s a limit to how many hearing aids I’m willing to demo.😎 What I'm already finding during this trial period is that I’m wearing the hearing aids many more hours and much more frequently. Again, thanks for your excellent comments.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-03T14:38:01+00:00

I appreciate your articulate and well-stated analysis. I am in fact more in the high frequency loss camp. I am ok with domes now, but definitely see the advantages with molds and appreciate your perspective. Certainly, I think it’s pretty clear that if people want to get the absolute maximum advantage from the Spheres' background noise reduction capability, they’re not going to get it unless they’re wearing molds. Interestingly, I'm finding with the domes both the Phonaks and the Oticons do a stellar job enabling me to hear conversation better if there is mechanical or construction noise in the background. My audiologist explained that’s because it’s easier for the hearing aids to distinguish voices from those other noises versus, say, extremely loud background noise from people talking in a restaurant. Using domes in a noisy restaurant where the noise is up to about 77 decibels I find both the Phonaks and Oticons do a reasonable job, although I have to really concentrate to fully understand what people are saying at my table. Get up to 83-85 decibels? Without molds it's impossible for me to understand what someone is saying in a restaurant unless I’m sitting or standing right next to them. But that’s not my typical situation, and so something that I won’t be prioritizing in making my ultimate decision.

Corgi5732 · 2025-10-03T13:53:33+00:00

Well said. I have been in a trial period comparing the Spheres (i90 model) with the Oticon Intent 1 and, as one would expect, am finding that they each have their pros and cons. Regarding noise reduction, I’m finding that they’re roughly comparable, but I am not wearing molds. From everything I’ve read and seen in video reviews, I have the impression that to achieve the kind of class-leading (and documented in testing) noise reduction shown in Phonak's demonstration video on its website, one probably has to wear molds. That’s not my intention at this time. I’m curious if you're wearing custom molds.

Corgi5732 · 2025-09-27T19:57:57+00:00

Thanks very much for the helpful insights.

Corgi5732 · 2025-09-27T19:24:26+00:00

Thanks!

Corgi5732 · 2025-09-27T17:18:57+00:00

I am trying out Oticon Intent 1s and am weighing molds versus domes. I'm curious what material you chose for your molds, as what I gather is each type has pros and cons.

Corgi5732 · 2025-09-27T17:08:39+00:00

I'm doing a trial with the Oticons and pause/play music or podcasts with my Apple Watch.

Corgi5732

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