May chitchat

[flatcap]

Speaking of computers, I don't have a smartphone. I can afford one, but up until now I never felt the need. That is changing.

Increasingly, it is an absolute necessity to have a smartphone, so my ludditism is waning. I was looking at over-the-counter hearing aids the other day, and they were controlled by a smartphone app. I found another quality pair, and it was the same story.

I once had an iPhone 4, but that was so long ago, they were will still the latest great thing. The main difficulty I had with it was my tremor made it almost impossible to do anything with it. I could hardly 'tap' anything just once like you normally should. I often tapped things I didn't want to tap. Added to that was the fact that I had to go outside of my apartment to make a call. That was it for me and smartphones.

I plan to get one someday, but I am still putting it off. Reasons include such things as surveying the market for phones that are easier to operate in 'mechanical' terms and having yet to find one. The topic is virtually never discussed.

Another thing is, on the tech side, every source of information including the manufacturers assume you already know everything there is to know about smartphones. Reading the reviews, I can't understand what they are saying sometimes. That leaves me not knowing what phone might be the 'best' choice for my situation. I don't even know how much memory in the phone I will need.

I suppose I will have to get over all this someday and just jump in. I have thought of buying a new phone and number, then keeping the old phone until I get used to the new one (assuming I do). That way, I won't have to update my profiles on sites like my bank that use 2FA for logging in until I'm ready. Or maybe I shouldn't worry about it so much.

[agate]

I have a smartphone but use it only when I need to be away from home--or sometimes to make a long-distance call. I don't hear all that well with it, and sometimes the sound is due to phone problems rather than my hearing, I think.

I find cellphones very hard to deal with. I thought some of getting one and keeping it in my pocket as an emergency resource so I could dial 911 if necessary but most phones are too big and heavy to fit in my pocket. And what about all of those situations where the *&@#$ phone won't work because there's poor reception in the area, or the battery has run down?

Every cellphone I've had (I've had 3 now including this smartphone) has had a battery that runs down alarmingly fast.

And seeing anything on a cellphone, as well as pressing what needs to be pressed--I'm not really up to it. I'm too apt to dial a wrong number or gum everything up. My fingers and eyes just aren't up to this particular new technology.

Those hearing aids you mentioned may be controllable in other ways, not just by smartphone app. Often the app is also available on a desktop PC, or at least hearing aids that I've dealt with haven't ever made it mandatory to have a smartphone. When you say "controllable," do you mean controls for fine tuning, like when adjustments have to be made? Those can usually be done remotely by the audiologist who fitted the hearing aids without your having to have a smartphone.

[agate]

I save pictures for the simple reason it works better for me. I even store bookmarks because I find it easier to organize them (I have hundreds).

As for the copyright issue, the way you are doing your searches cuts you off from a lot of free-source content. Not every site makes a declaration.

But I know what you're saying. Sometimes it is better to forget about it, no matter the subject.

If I'm looking for a particular image, I try not to give up easily. Google usually offers so many possibilities that I can often find one. And it seems as if the system is set up in such a way that any copyright-protected image just gets snatched away automatically if someone posts it somewhere. In other words, I don't have to look around to find out if an image won't stay posted. It will disappear on me (or fail to post) if I try to post it. This does mean that I need to go back and make sure it's still there, and they've been known to vanish a day or so later--for no known reason, but I'm assuming it's the copyright issue.

[Ikoiko]

No joke, my new neurologist doesn’t like his older patients to be so immune suppressed like with Tysabri and Rituxan. Also, I have had shingles twice while being on Rituxan. So Avonex it is and I hate the side effects.

[flatcap]

I would think it obvious that I meant no joke in that sense, but I guess not. If you go back, you will see I admitted having a dry sense of humor.

I would also suggest re-reading my original post. I believe you might see it in a different light if you do. You might even laugh at it. I thought the third sentence contradicting first and repeating the word "so" was pretty funny, but then I am known to laugh at my own jokes.

The next sentence on the next line was intended sound childish, as if it were coming from one. It was supposed to be self-deprecating and therefore funny in the context of the first three sentences.

Again, I am sorry if I offended you.

And again, I hope things go well for you — and not just for your treatment, but your life.

[flatcap]

@agate

Like a lot of other things around here, I wasn't able to reply to your embedded comment following my post about smartphones and hearing aids so I am implementing this workaround.

I have had a cheap burner phone with physical buttons since 2016. I renew my service plan every year and buy additional minutes when I need them, which is never. This costs me $100 and change for the entire year, which is pretty hard to beat. I have had to replace the phone twice, but it was no problem at all and cost me only $20 plus tax each time.

I have been looking at a smartphone to do things that I can't without one. Some are important, others are trivial. For example, always having a map when going out of town can be helpful when you consider the fact they don't sell them in gas stations anymore. In trivial cases such as games, I have no need for those specifically, but I might find other apps that I learn to like.

Regarding hearing aids, I am looking at OTC models exclusively at this point. Those would be the in-the-ear type as I wear glasses. They come in at around $1k, which is much cheaper than taking the audiologist route to get a pair. I understand the concept of 'you get what you pay for' but I am willing to give it a shot. I just need a smartphone.

ETA

Soundly: A place to compare hearing aids. Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

I would recommend checking it out.

[flatcap]

If I'm looking for a particular image, I try not to give up easily. Google usually offers so many possibilities that I can often find one. And it seems as if the system is set up in such a way that any copyright-protected image just gets snatched away automatically if someone posts it somewhere. In other words, I don't have to look around to find out if an image won't stay posted. It will disappear on me (or fail to post) if I try to post it. This does mean that I need to go back and make sure it's still there, and they've been known to vanish a day or so later--for no known reason, but I'm assuming it's the copyright issue.

The issues you are having are probably due to the fact that some sites automatically sense gestures such as right-clicking on an image to copy/paste it or whatever and block them. They can sometimes detect where their links show up and block those requests as well. There are workarounds for all that, but I won't go into them here.

On the subject of copyrights, some are specious. For example, someone can scan a photo from the old family album, post it somewhere including sites that sell such garbage under "copyright," then claim injury if it shows up elsewhere. That is patently ridiculous.

The old version of Google Image Search made it easy to find the sites on which a given picture has been posted. Not so easy with Google Lens, at least not for me.

I go right at the problem using Advanced Google Image Search (AGIS). You can invoke Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT to hone your results. You can do this manually on single-line Google searches, but it is easier on the AGIS page. You can also easily constrain results to a single domain (you can also do this on the single-line search page if you know the code).

On a related if distant topic, I use AGIS when looking for things on Amazon. It's a lot faster than having to sort through the mess that is the Amazon site sometimes. It depends on what you are looking for, of course, but you don't have to wade through all the junk that Amazon presents you with, such as 'Amazon Choice' or whatever they call it. You are also free of their prioritizing search results in such way that what you are looking for shows up so far down the line you can't find it.

Other than that, I think you would be surprised at how far I am willing to go to find a picture on the internet. I probably spent hundreds of hours amassing my collection of vintage cap pictures. None, as far as I know, are under current copyright. I took pains to avoid it.

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[agate]

I would think it obvious that I meant no joke in that sense, but I guess not. If you go back, you will see I admitted having a dry sense of humor.

I would also suggest re-reading my original post. I believe you might see it in a different light if you do. You might even laugh at it. I thought the third sentence contradicting first and repeating the word "so" was pretty funny, but then I am known to laugh at my own jokes.

The next sentence on the next line was intended sound childish, as if it were coming from one. It was supposed to be self-deprecating and therefore funny in the context of the first three sentences.

Again, I am sorry if I offended you.

And again, I hope things go well for you — and not just for your treatment, but your life.

This conversation is yet another instance of how very difficult it is on the Internet to know just what a writer's intention or mood or tone really is. Is the person being humorous? Satiric? Very serious? It can be impossible to tell at times.

That's why a while ago some of us were agitating for emojis/smilies. I would have been in favor of the very best emojis that could be found--visible, clear, sometimes amusing, etc. They help us to convey what our intentions are in our posts. In a message board format, with people coming in and commenting out of the blue, it's so very easy to get things wrong.We can't see one another's faces or hear the tone of voice, and we don't know much about what is going on in that person's life just then, of course. There's just not much to go on except those words in that message window.

[agate]

flatcap, about your hearing aids link, thank you for posting it. I have Oticon hearing aids that looks like the Oticon Real that is pictured there but I'd have to check it to see exactly what Oticon it is. I've had these aids for only a couple of years but had my first aids for about 10 years, and a second pair for about 6 years. They were both "free" (after a $400 processing fee) from a program run by Starkey called Hear Now. The last I heard, that program had been discontinued but you might want to find out about it.

I started with behind-the-ear aids and am still using that type even though I wear glasses. This was a concern of mine too but the audiologist assured me that the glasses wouldn't get in the way, and they don't.

But these latest aids tend to work loose too easily, and the glasses aren't helping that problem. I can see why you'd prefer the in-the-ear type. I had doubts about it because I understand that a person is more vulnerable to infections with that type of aid.

The problem isn't really with the type of aid. It's because I have a weirdly shaped ear and ear canal because of some surgery I had years ago.

I don't want to take very many chances when it's my ears, and so I've stuck with audiologists who aren't just eager to sell products. But I've been hearing very very good reports about the recently developed OTC hearing aids if your hearing loss is mild to moderate.

[flatcap]

Thanks for your input on hearing aids.

[flatcap]

This conversation is yet another instance of how very difficult it is on the Internet to know just what a writer's intention or mood or tone really is. Is the person being humorous? Satiric? Very serious? It can be impossible to tell at times.

That's why a while ago some of us were agitating for emojis/smilies. I would have been in favor of the very best emojis that could be found--visible, clear, sometimes amusing, etc. They help us to convey what our intentions are in our posts. In a message board format, with people coming in and commenting out of the blue, it's so very easy to get things wrong.We can't see one another's faces or hear the tone of voice, and we don't know much about what is going on in that person's life just then, of course. There's just not much to go on except those words in that message window.

Well, there are those emoji/smiley sites I posted.

Not as convenient as having them built-in here, of course, but the outcome is the same: You get to post the emoji/smiley.

I should probably use them more often.

Other than that, I think I clearly explained myself. Twice. I would think that would be enough, but we haven't heard back from Ikoiko yet, so I don't know.

[agate]

As for your 6:20 PM post about image searching, I'm going to give that careful consideration but on a better day.

Falls leave me pretty shaken up for a while, and I'm still only operating on very low power today. Come to think of it, the fall was 5 days ago but these things do take time.

[flatcap]

I hope your recovery goes well. It is never easy going through it.

I have fallen several times in the last few years, and on two of those occasions, it took me a while to heal up. One such time when I was still recovering from a fall, I went through the MRI. It hurt so much to lay on that hard surface that I could hardly remain still for the exam. I also needed help getting up off the table afterwards. That was so concerning to the staff they asked me if I was OK. I told them I was, but I really wasn't.

This sort of thing is another reason I hope to avoid going through MRI exams in the future unless absolutely necessary. It isn't worth the pain.

[agate]

I agree about MRIs! I've probably already mentioned that I backed off a couple of years ago when the neuro wanted not one but 3 MRIs. I didn't want even one MRI, thanks. I just didn't see much need for it at this point. And it is an uncomfortable way to have to spend quite a lot of time, considering that you need to go somewhere and then get back home.

I must have been very lucky with the 5 MRIs I've already had because they kept bringing pillows and strategically positioning them until I was comfortable but it was still noisy and a bit chilly too. And it's never any fun having to stay perfectly still when your body has a tendency to twitch.

I should mention that I made it clear to the MRI tech as soon as I got there that I really have problems lying on my back.Maybe that prompted them to make some extra effort.

[Virginia]

Speaking of falls - I went to get my hair done Thursday. There are very few elderly people who go to that shop. I see a lot in their 50s and 60s. A lady who looked to be in her late 50s or early 60s came in using a rolling walker. My hairdresser asked if I would mind if she did her that it was only a shampoo and blow dry. I didn't mind and the lady was coming in from the waiting room. My hairdresser was kind of trying to help her when all of a sudden the lady and her walker went down. The floors are hardwood. My hairdresser tried to help her up as the ladies husband just kind of looked on, offering no assistance at all. She kept saying she had hurt her hip really bad. My hairdresser got another lady from down the hall and after a number of tries they got her in a wheelchair, which the hairdresser requested her husband go get out of the car.

It was sad for me to watch and I felt really bad for her and my hairdresser. It turns out the lady had a stroke and her legs are weak and give way on her. This makes 2nd time she has fallen in there. She wants the hairdresser to go to her house every week and shampoo and blow dry her hair. She can't do it. She has to work and she is not strong enough to hold a chair over the sink, also when the lady needs a haircut she would be bending over to try to cut her hair. My hairdresser already has a bad back and often takes prescription medicine for it. This lady has been going to her for about 20 years. She told me that if a caregiver would bring her in in a wheelchair and put it beside her chair and then roll it to the shampoo bowl she could do it. I asked if the lady could take a step or two to get in her chair and also to the shampoo bowl. She said oh yes that she could be on her feet that much, but just not long enough to walk in the shop and to her chair.

As I said the lady is a little on the youngish side and is embarrassed. Personally, from what I witnessed she needs to get rid of her husband. He was useless. They left to go to the emergency room. My hairdresser is going to tell her that she can't keep doing her unless she comes in a wheelchair. This is one instance that I do not blame her. My hairdresser was leaving to go on vacation with her husband and another couple after I left.. I told her to go home and have some wine. She has been talking about this vacation for months. I hope this didn't spoil any of it. I will be surprised if that lady doesn't have a broken hip.

[agate]

Sounds as if the rolllator wasn't much help in preventing her fall. I can imagine that that could happen. And how odd that her husband just did nothing.

Well, maybe he has some health problem that makes it impossible for him to help. You just never know.


I think it's a rare hairdresser who would be willing to do her work at a customer's home. There is one who comes to this building but I have the impression that for a number of reasons it's not usually done. There may be some issues about hygiene laws, for one thing. This woman no longer works in a shop. I believe she had her own shop at one time.

This lady cuts my hair while I'm in the wheelchair but I've never asked her to do a shampoo. I'm not sure how she manages to shampoo someone in a wheelchair. It might depend on how accessible the sink is.

It sounds as if this woman you saw can transfer, and she should be able to work something out. So sad. A fall in public is always a terrible loss of dignity too, and that hurts though in a different way from the pain of the injuries. I hope her hip won't turn out to be broken.