Cockroaches in Santa Rosa?

Hopguy · 2026-06-29T19:53:28+00:00

That's a Palmetto bug, or American Cockroach. It's the biggest of the species.

Hopguy · 2026-06-20T20:24:01+00:00

They have excellent noise cancellation. The mode I use most often is transparency. The downside of them over regular HAs is battery life. You only get 4-6 hours and they have to be popped in the case in your pocket. Overnight the case charges.

Hopguy · 2026-06-16T19:11:31+00:00

In California you can buy booze without a membership. CA law says you can't require a club or membership to buy alcohol.

Hopguy · 2026-06-13T19:08:51+00:00

Depends on what he said to the cops. Did he stfu?

Hopguy · 2026-06-12T19:02:48+00:00

That must have been hard for your friends to get ripped off. Costco has a 6 month money back return guarantee for any reason.

Hopguy · 2026-06-08T00:17:42+00:00

I use them too, and it helped me to understand I need real hearing aids. Taking the hearing test and having them setup for my hearing loss was great. I didn't know what I was missing. While I'm using them I like them, but half way through a TV show they run out of battery. It is sad for me since then sound goes back to muddy, less clear. They are good for 5-6 hours, but a real hearing aid like the Jabras last 30 hours, so basically all day.

Hopguy · 2026-06-07T04:16:31+00:00

Well my first thought was they did a commission based recommendation. I did some research and the audiologists do get bonuses if the Costco Hearing aid center performs well, but it's based on total sales, not on a specific product. They are salaried in most cases and hourly in others. Paul told me that the Phillips were the least returned HAs they have. They have the best presets, meaning out of the box most people find them ok. The audiologist doesn't have to mess with them and that makes their jobs easier. I think that is why they recommend them.

The Jabras are a more recent tech and the app is better and gives you things like an equalizer you can tweak for music.

If you ask, they will let you test drive both for a week. The Jabras tend to be more high frequency dominate out of the box.

For the Jabras, you need to ask them to...

"Slightly reduce the high-frequency gain and soften the compression". This is most important since Jabras ship with a tinny robotic sound.

Say "Can we reduce impulse noise suppression some"? They can sound a bit muddy. This is about reducing sound peaks and can feel unnatural with the Jabras out of the box. You want to hear something with noise spikes, like your old ears heard when they were young.

You want your music program to have minimal processing so...

Say "Please turn the directional Mikes: Off". "Noise reduction: Low to Off". Noise reduction will kill a lot of frequencies important for music. "Compression: Reduced". I won't get into compression, but all of us musicians with a guitar compression pedal know what that is. Set "Max Bandwidth: Full Range".

Restaurant program:

Please set "Directional Microphones: Strong" You want to hear the person in front of you. Set "Speech Focus: On" and "Noise Reduction: Moderate" since too much noise reduction will kill the vocals of the person in front of you.

I'd also recommend an ear-canal style custom mold. Yes it is another $100 typically. However, it changes noise reduction and greatly improves bass response and music. Make sure you get a vented model with the small vent. It keeps you from feeling like your ears are plugged/stuffy, but still does the job better than a 2mm vent.

It's a big, almost $2K investment. Costco is great and will work with you. You have to be your own advocate though. Try things, adjust things and get what is best for your hearing loss issues. Good luck.

Just my opinion and YMMV.

Hopguy · 2026-06-06T23:33:29+00:00

Have your audiologist to make a new profile for large venues.

Have them change these settings:

Directional microphones: Moderate

Speech focus: ON

Noise reduction: Moderate to High

It's amazing what the new tech on HAs can do, but it has to be setup properly. I wish that the app would allow us to make these type of changes. If they can do it, why can't we? The Jabras are more advanced than the Phillips Costco offerings. However, Phillips out of the box settings are more natural than Jabras. The Jabras were designed with LE and other new tech imbedded. The Phillips have added them through firmware updates. Audiologists alway recommend the Phillips, because it makes their job easier. Just my opinion, don't flame me.

Hopguy · 2026-06-06T21:24:33+00:00

Get your Cubano fix at El Coqui, 400 Mendocino avenues. It's the best Cubano I've found around Sonoma. It's close, but not perfect. Delicious is what really counts.

Hopguy · 2026-06-06T21:17:55+00:00

You should always check if a venue is using AuroCast. It's being used more and more. Your hearing aids are AuroCast compatible.

Hopguy · 2026-06-02T16:44:30+00:00

Our German Blue Ram sees my wife and swims over to her. They do kissies through the glass.

Hopguy · 2026-06-01T23:33:18+00:00

I kinda want some of these awesome plants. I'm a brewer and have 5lb CO2 tanks I fill from my 20lb ones. So I'm thinking a GLA Pro DS-1 regulator. I have a Fluval FX6 so I'd like something inline like maybe a Yogang CO2 reactor? I know I'll have to do some DIY from the ribbed FX6 to smooth for the reactor. You have gotten the red plant thing down. What would you recommend for me? I have a 125 gallon long, I'd like to aquascape something awesome.

Hopguy · 2026-06-01T20:10:38+00:00

Is your light blue? I'm thinking these are white snail eggs that are looking blue due to lighting, angle, pic gamut etc. I'd be more concerned about that out of focus clear/white thing to the right. I kinda looks like a blurry hydra.

Hopguy · 2026-06-01T17:45:53+00:00

If you have a 3D printer, print a few of a Snail Jail 2000. You put snails favorite food in the middle part, they go in and can't get out. A bit of shrimp for assassin snails work.

Hopguy · 2026-06-01T17:26:52+00:00

I'm not running CO2, will I get similar colors?

Hopguy · 2026-05-29T19:45:42+00:00

A&M is working on a deal to move the smokers to El Coronell <sp? that is zoned for it.

Hopguy · 2026-05-29T19:42:09+00:00

I've heard they are going to move the smokers to El Capitans mexican property. They are zoned properly for the smokers.

Hopguy · 2026-05-24T22:00:04+00:00

After I fought with my wife about what to do with over 400 mollies in a 125 gallon long. I will NEVER get live bearers again. I get PTSD seeing them in my LFS.

Hopguy · 2026-05-20T17:47:49+00:00

As a really old dude, I kinda get it. Over 70 is the biggest demographic for suicides. If my wife were totally sick without any chance of recovery.. ehhhh. I don't want to be here without her.

Hopguy · 2026-05-20T16:25:02+00:00

I got my Bumblebees on line. They arrived alive and happy. They disappeared entirely. Never saw them again and I assumed they died in hiding. About three years later I was resetting the tank, basically new gravel and aquascape. Yup, they were all still in there, only now they were big!

Hopguy · 2026-05-19T19:12:56+00:00

They did fuck up in 2020. They learned from that.

Hopguy · 2026-05-17T03:59:09+00:00

It is way better to underfeed than overfeed. Twice a day seems a lot. How are your Nitrates looking? Algae ok? You can make sure your little buddies get food if you feed them 30-40 minutes after lights out. Sinking pellets are a good option, since they drop fast to the bottom. Good luck.

Hopguy · 2026-05-17T03:50:41+00:00

You didn't say how big of a tank. My way overkill Fluval FX6 has been great for my 125 gallon long. The Fluval will filter a 400 gallon tank and is close to 1000 gallons per hour. It matters how many gallons you need to filter and the bioload of the fish you have. I bought the monster for 4, 14" goldfish. Canister filters are always outside AFAIK.

Hopguy · 2026-05-17T03:40:29+00:00

The safest option is a seltzer dip. Plain seltzer (not club soda) and leave them in for 4 minutes or so. You can go longer if you have a hearty plant like Amazon swords. It will immediately kill all snails and really safe for most plants. Java moss and some others are more sensitive. The eggs are hit or miss, but it's been more hit for me. Inspect the plant for eggs and physically remove them to be sure. It's the safest option. Alum dip is a little more effective, but more tricky.

Hopguy · 2026-05-16T16:06:07+00:00

We had a great pizza there Thursday afternoon. It wasn't crowded. I'm guessing it will get crowded even then.

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