A pair of high fidelity earplugs (aka concert earplugs or filtering earplugs). You can get a good non-custom pair for $15–$40, and that’ll work well for the average person for a long time.
They’re excellent for live music, airplanes, and anytime you want the world to be quieter but still need to be able to understand speech. And for music specifically, they can bring the volume level down just enough to be safe without muffling the sound like traditional foam earplugs do. Protect your hearing, kids!
Protect your hearing, kids!
Seriously, PROTECT YOUR FUCKING HEARING. I was young and stupid (now I’m no longer young) and went to way too many raves, gigs etc. without any sort of hearing protection, and now I have a nice constant background track of EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and can’t hear higher frequencies worth shit
Do you have any brand and model recommendations?
I’m no earplug connoisseur, but I’ve been using Westone’s WM16 for smaller venues, and Etymotic Research’s ER20XS dual-flange for louder situations. I haven’t tried much else, but these work well for me. I’ve also heard great things about Earasers, Eargasm, and Hearos.
Earasers are a bit more expensive and appear to have a unique ergonomic eartip. iirc you can get them for $40 elsewhere, maybe Amazon. I’ve read that Earasers’ “-19dB Peak” model has a very slight sound reduction, so I’d probably opt for their middle “European Standard” model. On the other end of the price spectrum, Hearos is particularly inexpensive at a glance. Idk anything about specific models.
Some brands have multiple types of earplugs (e.g. for music, shooting, construction work), so make sure you’re getting one designed for music or “high-fidelity” or something like that. Any of the “good” brands are probably going to work just fine. (Read the reviews if you’re unsure.) Most brands seem to include multiple eartip sizes in the package so you can choose the right fit.
Beyond that, there is some element of personal preference. For example, I first tried Etymotic’s classic triple-flange version and didn’t like how deep they stuck into my ears. It felt invasive. But the dual-flange model feels great for me.
And finally, there are different options for how much attenuation (noise reduction) you want. Like I mentioned, my “-16dB average attenuation” earplugs feel good for small/medium venues (a backroom venue of a bar, maybe a theater). For a larger venue (arena or stadium, or even just a really loud loud theater) you’d definitely want more significant average attenuation, probably in the low-to-mid twenties.
Most earplugs will be confusingly marketed with multiple attenuation values. One will be an official NRR value, which is apparently required but controversial, and the other(s) will be the average and/or peak decibel reduction “when the product is used correctly” as reported by the manufacturer. It seems people don’t talk about the NRR as often. But it’s fun that they’ve made it more complicated for us to compare products.
I should also mention that if you’re a performing musician or hardcore concert-goer, you may consider springing for custom-molded earplugs, which are way pricier. I haven’t made that upgrade yet, but everyone who does seems to think it’s life-changing.
This got long, sorry!
I’m no earplug connoisseur
7 paragraphs about earplugs
uh oh, they’re onto me
A bidet. You can install it yourself in 20 minutes and enjoy a lifetime of cleaner buttholes and save on tp.
I’ll never ‘go’ without one!
Seriously though, bidets rock. Try one, get a good one, and you’ll never go back.
Every time I’ve tried to use a bidet, I’ve hated it. The water feels uncomfortable and sudden, and then I feel like I either can’t get dry with toilet paper and get chapped later, or it breaks up from the water and leaves pieces everywhere. The air dry varieties seem to contribute to chapped butt too. I know some people use wash cloths, but frankly the idea of leaving butthole cloth out in the bathroom weirds me out also.
What is the secret to enjoying these things? Am I just too damn American for them?
The key is to use a hose and not a fixed one. The fixed ones don’t really allow you to clean where you’d like whereas the hose ones let you aim wherever. At least that’s how it’s been in my experience.
You have to do the bidet dance with a fixed one, works just as well.
When I use a bidet at home, I always do a few wipes first to avoid the breakup. Then I pat down with tp after to dry.
I get that some people want to save tp, but I just want to feel clean after I drop a bomb.
A decent set of precision kitchen scales, and some general use scales that don’t have a massive delay on them #WeightSupremacist4Lyf
But seriously, fuck you, measuring cups. Fuck. You.
Sometimes multiple scales are important too! I’ve got the big ol boi with the white bowl, has worked amazingly for food for years. Then the standard blade scale for weighing… Parsley and… salt. Finally, the lil guy with the tiny metal saucer that goes down to .001 for weighing… really… small amount of… yeah it’s drugs
One I didn’t see mentioned yet: a rice cooker.
Put in rice, add water, push start button, and you get perfect rice every time. I’m usually against single-purpose kitchen tools but a rice cooker is soo worth it.
Maybe specific, but if you do any DIY housework, get an endocscope. Baiscally, a 10 foot long flexible wire with a camera and light at the end. Uses your phone as a screen. Can be had for <$50. So many of my house projects would have been impossible without it. Also good for finding stuff under the couch.
These are sometimes referred to as borescopes rather than endoscopes.
A bidet. Fight me.
The only people who would fight you about how great bidets are are people who have never actually used one
God damnit. I was hoping reddits love of bidets would stay on reddit, yet here we are
Have you used one? What do you have against them?
We just got one. We even splurged for the fancy one that hooks up to warm water. It is life changing. I feel very dirty whenever I have to do a poo somewhere else. Underrated appliance, for sure.
You didn’t know you needed one until you use it. Life changing.
Preach it brother. Enlighten the unwashed (m)asses.
After I going through my second ~$30 bidet. I upgraded to a ~$300 Toto bidet with heated water and seat. No regrets.
How does that work? I don’t have hot water or an outlet in my toilet room. Did you have to renovate, or was there service already?
I have an electric one and just ran an extension cable. If I owned I would definitely install an outlet next to the toilet.
It must’ve feel like being blessed by the rains down in Africa
I wonder if I could rig up a bidet that would play Africa by Toto while it washed my backside.
A first aid kit
A towel
I spent a lot of time in the middle east, so I’m going to say: Deodorant, not more perfume. Please.
A water flosser
It’s made me way more likely to floss and it’s so satisfying to do after eating any sort of food that gets stuck in your teeth
I’ve heard it’s not as efficient as regular floss picks. Is that true?
A water flosser does nothing against calculus. I use one myself and it’s a nice feeling but for calculus you need real floss picks and brute force.
It’s effective against algebra though, factor that into your calculations
Pocket knife/multitool.
A water kettle. Doesn’t have to be any fancy one, but it really fucking rocks for anything you might think of : want hot water for tea? No problem. Need hot water to steep something? No problem.
Most mid-range ones are insanely power efficient too, often being alot better than just boiling water on a stovetop, or using a microwave. And, depending on insulation, heat can be stored for over 6! hours.
A good chef knife
Also makes and excellent chrismas/birthday present
A plunger. Get it before you need it.
A shoe horn
A set of spectacle screwdrivers
A backscratcher
An ice cream scoop
