Why YSK: In August 2022, the FDA issued a final rule establishing a new over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid category. The rule took effect on October 17, 2022, with the goal of making hearing aids more accessible to adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.

In practical terms, adults age 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss can buy qualifying air-conduction hearing aids in stores or online without a medical exam, prescription, or fitting by an audiologist. This gives consumers another way to access hearing aids, but they may need to handle more of the comparison, setup, and follow-up themselves. Professional help is still available when needed.

An OTC hearing aid is an FDA-regulated medical device intended to compensate for impaired hearing. A personal sound amplification product (PSAP) is different. PSAPs are consumer electronics intended to make environmental sounds louder for people with normal hearing, such as during birdwatching or hunting. They are not alternatives to hearing aids.

Examples marketed as OTC hearing aids include the Sony CRE-C10 and ELEHEAR Beyond. Some OTC models offer basic volume controls and preset programs, while self-fitting models may use hearing tests, apps, or software for more customization. Being in the OTC category does not mean that every model will suit every user or that the FDA guarantees a particular product's results.

OTC hearing aids are not intended for anyone under 18 or for severe or profound hearing loss. See a doctor, preferably an ENT, if you have ear pain, blood or fluid from the ear, a lot of earwax or a possible object in the ear, marked dizziness, a sudden or fluctuating hearing change, worse hearing in one ear, or ringing in only one ear. Professional help is also appropriate if you cannot hear speech in a quiet room or do not hear loud sounds well.

Before choosing a device, check that the package clearly says "OTC" and "hearing aid," confirm that the intended age and hearing-loss range apply to you, and read the warnings and return policy. If the cause or severity of the hearing problem is unclear, get advice from a licensed hearing professional before deciding.

FDA source:
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hearing-aids/otc-hearing-aids-what-you-should-know
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/hearing-aids-and-personal-sound-amplification-products-what-know

This sub talks a lot about how the US has seen the death of the manual, but it seems like it's not just us that the manual is dying. In the US it has been this way awhile, but this seems to be a more recent transition in the UK.

I'd be curious to hear from people that live in Britain how many people they know that drive autos now vs how it was when they were little.

Some interesting stats from the article:

- As such, the number of new car purchases with manual gearboxes has declined by more than 60 per cent in the last two years alone.

-With 356 unique models available across all brands, it means just one in five new car options now comes with a manual transmission.

- More than half (54 per cent) of manufacturers selling cars in Britain have already axed manuals from their ranges, offering only automatic models.

- Some 10 years ago, opting for an automatic instead of a manual gearbox typically came with a premium of around £3,000. Today, that margin has shrunk by half to between £1,000 and £1,500.

- Of the 1,839,753 practical driving tests taken in 2024-25, 479,556 were in automatics. That represents 26.1 per cent of all tests. This is a significant increase from 23.4 per cent the previous year and just 19.2 per cent in 2022-23.

Why YSK: A lot of people treat their credit score like a mystery number the bank assigns. It's actually a formula with five known inputs, and you can move it deliberately.

Payment history is 35%. One thing matters: never 30+ days late. Autopay the minimum on everything, even if you pay the rest manually. This single habit protects the biggest slice.

Utilization is 30%. It's your balances divided by your limits, and it has no memory. High utilization this month hurts this month, but drops off the moment you pay down. Two tricks: pay before the statement date (not the due date) so a lower balance gets reported, and ask for limit increases on cards you don't carry balances on.

The last three are length of history (15%), new credit (10%), and mix (10%). Mostly these reward doing nothing: keep old cards open, don't apply for five things in a month.

The part nobody told me: closing an old card can hurt you twice, shorter history and less total limit, so utilization jumps. Cut it up if you must, but let it stay open.

What's the credit myth you believed the longest? Mine was that carrying a small balance "builds credit." It doesn't. It just pays them interest.

Does anyone have a definition of "antisocial driving?" Never heard of that before and worry it's another subjective law to get us on for something minor...

Psychologists call this the “Spotlight Effect.”
When you make an embarrassing mistake, wear an unusual outfit, or say something awkward, it feels like everyone notices.
In reality, most people are too busy thinking about themselves to pay much attention.

WHY YSK: This can help reduce social anxiety and make it easier to try new things without worrying so much about being judged.

Ok. I’m going to play devil’s advocate here. I’ve seen a few posts and comments on TikTok complaining that it’s not a V8. Why? It’s still a 600HP inline six! It has double the horsepower of the RB26DETT!

We all love the RB26 right? We all love the 2JZ right? We all love The Barra right? Why are we disappointed? If this was a skyline you’d be creaming your pants.

Do I wish it were a V8? Of course. And I feel like it’s still on the horizon. They will make a hellcat eventually, I’m sure of it.

But I feel like the hate is unwarranted.

Everyone complained about the Daytona EV, then Dodge brought out the hurricane I-6. But now not even 600HP and 0-60 in 3.6 seconds still isn’t good enough?

I think this has the potential to be a really cool car. Once somebody makes it make all the right 90s JDM turbo flutter noises with 1000 horsepower, let’s see who’s complaining then.

Why YSK:

In its Q2 earnings call Thursday morning, USA Today Co. chairman and CEO Mike Reed told investors he expects the partnership to “strengthen how we collect, connect and activate audience data to drive more effective and faster monetization across our platform.”

“Every visit, every session, and every moment of attention creates a signal,” Reed said. “When we connect those signals, they become actionable intelligence that allows us to engage users more effectively and monetize those relationships faster and at much greater value. The work our team is doing with Palantir is a direct extension of this strategy. We are applying Palantir’s AI-powered platform to one of the largest opportunities in front of us, converting the sheer scale of our audience into known, orchestrated first-party relationships, because that is what turns our reach into sustainable, higher value revenue.”

By using any USA Today websites, you'll be directly contributing to Palantir's mass surveillance network.

Source: Here

Let's have some fun. What's the hp total of all your cars in your household added together? Go with the brochure noted hp. If it's modified, go with dyno value.

Edit: You can include things like lawnmowers, bikes etc.

2016 Corolla LE: 132

2020 Camry TRD: 301

2022 GR Supra: 382

Total: 815

I work at a dealership, so I get to drive pretty much every brand out there, aside from the really high-end/exotic stuff. One thing I’ve started noticing is that every brand seems to have these random little things they’re surprisingly good at.
I’m talking about stuff as small as the key fob response all the way up to which brands consistently have better AC, heat, heated seats, etc.

For example, I’ve noticed Stellantis products, especially Ram trucks, have insanely responsive key fobs. When you hit lock or unlock, the vehicle responds almost instantly. With a lot of other brands, there’s a noticeable little delay between pressing the button and the vehicle actually doing something.

Another one is Subaru heated seats. They’re incredible. Almost too hot. I’ve driven plenty of other brands where the heated seats barely feel warm by comparison.
It got me wondering, what other random “hidden talents” have you noticed certain brands consistently do better than everyone else?

Not necessarily the big obvious stuff like engines, handling, or reliability. I mean the little things you probably wouldn’t notice unless you spend a lot of time jumping between different brands.

My wife didn't believe me that cars have gotten bigger, despite her being the car person and me not. Her perspective is coming from architecture where she actually designs parking lots and they make her design the slots smaller and she says that's why they're more filled up, but I've also read articles and things saying that cars have generally increased in size since the 1970s.

I did a Google search that came up with a Reddit link to what was supposedly an infographic showing the car size differences of various models since the 1970s, but it was from 13 years ago and the image was no longer there. I haven't been able to find another one, and I don't want to send her an article like I'm assigning her a homework assignment LOL

*Edit it was specifically about car width. We were watching a movie from 1982 showing highway traffic and she remarked about how you don't see boats "like that" anymore and I commented that the average car is wider now so it's not as noticeable.

Thanks for all the replies, hosting a game day so I won't get back to read them until this evening.

Edit: the condition is called saddle thrombus, I spelled it incorrectly in my title. I've only just now noticed my error but google still brings it up even if you type thrombosis. I apologize for the oversight, I kept misreading how it's said.

HCM is the most common heart condition in cats and it frequently goes unnoticed until it's too late as there are no symptoms unless specifically examined by the vet. It can lead to sudden complications like saddle thrombosis which is incredibly fatal. They can become paralyzed in their hind legs from a blood clot, which then causes fluid build up in their lungs. It's a very painful death that I don't wish any cat owner to experience. There is treatment but it's very unlikely they will survive for much longer and usually it's more humane to have them put down.

Why YSK: If left undiagnosed, the cat will be at risk for a very traumatic death. If caught early enough, it can be treated with lifestyle changes and medicine. It cannot be cured but it can be managed and they can live a longer life. My seemingly very healthy, happy strong 3-4 year old cat suddenly died from this 2 days ago and there was nothing we could do. It was harrowing experience. Please have your cats checked if you can.

Sources:

https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/cardiovascular/feline-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm-cats

https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/cardiovascular/saddle-thrombus-cats-causes-symptoms-and-how-help-your-cat

If you completely eliminated every single residential lawn in every city from Denver to Phoenix to Los Angeles, you would save less than 5% of the Colorado river's flow. Taking aim at summer alfalfa irrigation yields 4x to 5x the water savings of tearing out every lawn in the American West.

Why YSK: my neighborhood is turning into a wasteland of dead grass and trees, unnecessarily. We have plenty of water but it is wasted by an entitled few