u/KokoTheTalkingApe

My earbuds are rounded and nearly identical left to right. They're also silver grey so the markings are heard to see. So it always took me a sec to make sure the the right one goes in the right ear.

So I got a fine point paint marker in white and put a little dot of white on the right earbud. The paint is very opaque and shows up even on black plastic. It's also durable and doesn't rub off easily like silver Sharpies, etc.

You should blow on it to let it dry (paint markers take a minute to dry, and you'll probably have to shake it up first).

You can also use the marker to mark which side is up on your old USB-A cords, polarized extension cords, etc.

You should listen to it.

Frank Martin (Swiss, 1890-1974, pronounced "Mar-TAN"). Deeply religious, moving from French late romantic to serialism. I was lucky to perform in it some years ago, and it makes me weep even now. I think "Le Mystère de la Nativité" is supposedly a greater piece but the only cd I can find so far is $60 (!)

Get a fine point paint marker in white or some other light color. Put a little dot of white on the right earbud. Blow on it to let it dry (paint markers take a minute to dry, and you'll probably have to shake it up first).

The paint is very opaque and shows up even on black plastic. It's also durable and doesn't rub off easily like silver Sharpies, etc.

You can also use the marker to mark which side is up on your old USB-A cords, polarized extension cords, etc.

Get a fine point paint marker in white or some other light color. Put a little dot of white on the right earbud. Blow on it to let it dry (paint markers take a minute to dry, and you'll probably have to shake it up first).

The paint is very opaque and shows up even on black plastic. It's also durable and doesn't rub off easily like silver Sharpies, etc.

You can also use the marker to mark which side is up on your old USB-A cords, polarized extension cords, etc.

Hi all! I bought the $180 FiiO DM13 portable player, and it sounds great and it's very versatile, but I think it's just not made for knocking around in a bag. The aluminum case is heavy and shows nicks, and lately it has been giving a "lid open" error even though the lid is closed. I'm looking for a cheap cd player I can just throw in my bag and go. I know there might be some in thrift stores and eBay, but I've been burned too many times by faulty products. Does anybody know of one I can buy new that works at least okay? BT is nice but not absolutely necessary.

Thank you!

Hi all! I'm looking for a watch that has the option for continuous blood oxygen monitoring as accurately as possible (I have two fairly serious lung ailments, and I can't carry around a finger-pinch blood oxygen monitor all the time). Not too bulky, maybe 42 mm wide and 12 mm thick, and not too expensive, hopefully under $300. I don't care about sleep monitoring, heart rate, GPS, etc. The Garmin website doesn't let me select a watch with those characteristics, and also offers a huge list of watches with not very clear differences.

EDIT: I know they're less accurate than finger pinch monitors, but I can't wear them all day. So the watch would be better than nothing. I've talked to my doctors about it and they think it can't hurt.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Has anybody tried these? Also, any idea why the "FLYINSKY Remote Passive Preamplifier" is $147 while the FLYINSKY HiFi Q03 Pro is just $115? They seem to have the same inputs (4 pairs of RCA) and outputs (one pair RCA) and both have remotes.

And how would they compare to the Schitt Saga 2 for $247 (other than the Saga having two balanced outputs as well as RCA)?

This is a picture of the Q03. I'll post a pic of the "Remote Passive Preamplifier" in the comments.

I'm just a beginner pickleball player, but these shoes are new and unique, and I just tried them out this week, so I thought I'd review them.

The Nonace Koto 1 are a zero-drop, "natural fit" court shoe with a wide toe box. For some reason wide toe boxes are rare in court shoes, though they're common in hiking shoes, running shoes, etc. I have very long toes, so I'm sort of forced to look for those. I wear Keens, Topo Athletic, and Altra for other sports and everyday wear. The only wide-toe court shoes I'm aware of are from Xero.

The Koto 1s have a flat layer of EVA foam under the insole, so they can't really be called "barefoot" shoes. (They look like they have a heel rise, but that's just the graphics. They really are zero rise.) But like barefoot shoes, the shoe is overall very flexible, and can bend and twist without much effort.

The outsole is non-marking. I didn't try them on outdoor courts, but on gym floors, they're more than sticky enough. I don't know how long they'll last, of course.

The upper is made of a knit fabric laminated to a liner fabric, and the combination is unusually non-stretchy and a little stiff. But it was easily flexible enough to be unnoticeable in actual use. And having a non-stretchy upper probably improves the midfoot support and control.

The midsole and sole are heat-fused to the upper with wrap-around trim in the front half of the shoe. So I would imagine sole separation will not be an issue, at least near the toe. That trim also protects the toe from abrasion if you're a toe-dragger.

There is basically zero arch support, like most zero-drop and barefoot shoes. That's good or bad, depending on what you want. Anyway, you can always add third-party insoles with more arch support if you want.

The rear of the shoe has fairly substantial plastic wings that come up and wrap partially around the instep, again for a firmer connection to your instep.

There is no stiff heel counter, again like a barefoot shoe.

Pros:
- The toe is really spacious, more than my Topo Athletic hiking boots for example.
- They're remarkably lightweight, only 10 oz (290 g).
- Despite the spacious toe, they do not slide around on your foot, which allows you to be quick and nimble on your feet. They paid a lot of attention to making the shoe fit securely without restricting your toes.
- The shoe looks good, even with the very wide toes. I got the grey and red model and a few people commented on how good they look.

Cons:
- The laminated knit upper doesn't breathe at all. I can see the point of a non-stretchy material for the instep, but in the toe it's not so important. So I wonder if future editions of the shoe will use a softer, more breathable material for the toes. On my particular shoes, I may end up poking a few holes in the toe with a fine-point soldering iron (the cleanest and most reliable way to do it).
- The toebox has a little too much material in it, at leashttps://agewisecolorado.org/provider/drcogs-area-agency-on-aging/t for me. When the laces are tightened, the toebox actually puffs up a little. But I have narrow insteps AND long toes, so my feet are like paddles. Maybe other people won't have the issue, and actually, functionally speaking it isn't an issue. It's just a minor appearance issue.

- At $165 plus shipping, there a touch expensive, especially since you can't try them on before buying (they do offer a 30-day return policy). But given the almost total lack of alternatives, I was willing to give them a try. And I'm glad I did, because they're working for me.

Hope that's helpful!

Skunks have an amazingly effective chemical defense. It's effective enough that they have fur patterns that make them stand out, apparently as a kind of warning. They also act unafraid of humans, dogs, etc. Apparently their only real predator is the great horned owl.

So it works really well. So why isn't that kind of defense more common? Not that it compares exactly, but plants have evolved many noxious, bitter, or spicy compounds to defend against being eaten. Is a skunk's spray very metabolically costly?