The Trouble With Buying Wireless Headphones

I never realized how much of a pain in the ass it is to purchase wireless headphones these days. Part of this is that most earbuds go in your ear canal. I hate that. Makes me feel like I have a cold with stuffed up ears. I can hear myself breathing, and words are amplified in my head. For the life of me, I cannot understand why people like these. Perhaps it’s because they’ve been conditioned to enjoy them, like they’ve been conditioned to listen to and enjoy that really, really shit “today’s hit music”? Dance club music is meant to dance to, not go “Oh, that’s good stuff!”

And how do people actually work out to that stuff? Seriously, gotta play metal or rock. Upbeat. Not dance crap or Taylor Swift style garbage. Perhaps uptempo Country or Classical or Jazz would be OK. Heavy metal is still the best. Slayer, Testament, Annihilator, Megadeath, etc.

BTW, the best earbuds I have ever had are a pair of wired Sony’s, have had them for around 20 years. Excellent bass, mid, and treble. Only thing I’ve had to do is replace the foam covers, which are cheap.

A hint on figuring sound quality is to play either Steely Dan’s Aja or Pink Floyd’s Any Color You Like, whether headphones, stereo, car, soundbar. Especially when you are adjusting sound. This is something pros do, I got the hint from them. And if you want to really hear what the bass is doing, play Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell. Between the bass guitar and bass drum (which are real, not computer generated), you can hear if the bass resonates. Funny, the best I’ve had is my old 2006 Jeep Liberty. Not the greatest speakers, but, good stereo, and really resonated.

Anyhow, I wanted two new pairs. One for just general listening, like when chilling at work, which could also be used for talking to people. After giving a pair of Skullcandy ones that go in ear canal (returned immediately), I got a pair of JBL Tune 225‘s to replace the cheapos I have (they’re nice, comfy, stay in ear, loud, just OK sound quality), which were on sale for $59.99. They’re actually very good. Comfy, stay in, excellent sound quality, especially mid-range and treble. Could use a bit more bass, and be a bit louder, but, most bluetooth are not that loud anymore. Devices and headsets limit you, to avoid lawsuits. These ones are True Wireless, which means there is no wire between the two speakers. Think Apple Airpods. Keeping these.

The call quality is very good. I’ve talked to a few people wearing just the left one while wearing a mask (can’t take them off even for calls inside), and no one has complained about not hearing me.

Then, need to replace my workout ones. I’ve had a pair of Avantree Jogger Plus since August 10, 2016. I’ve used them, conservatively, 800 times. Still work, just getting beat up and a bit rusty from sweat. Very comfy, loud enough, dependable, not the greatest for bass and mid-range. First I tried Plantronics Backbeat 3150‘s. Not loud, good sound, very stationary (True Wireless), and the rubber digs into your inner ear. Right back to store.

I tried Sony CH510’s. These are over the ear. Sound excellent, volume great, comfy on ears. Headband beyond uncomfortable, just digs into your skull. Maybe if you have a giant head of hair you’ll be fine. Right back to store.

Next up was Skullcandy Push Ultra (True Wireless), which I really, really wanted to like. Very comfortable, good sound, could be louder. The problem is that the sound doesn’t seem to project. But, good enough for gym. Unfortunately, the earbuds like to cut in and out. And completely out. Rather a pain in the ass 10 minutes in to the treadmill and the right or left cuts totally out. Exchanged. Second pair? Same. This is the most disappointing, because they would have been perfect.

Next up, Jabra Elite 45H. These are over the ear. No clue how they sound, because I tried them for fit outside the store today, and they are so slippery that any minor movement causes them to fall off. Immediately exchanged for Plantronics Backbeat 505 over the ear. Good sound, comfy, still not stable enough to use at the gym. Heck, they were moving too much walking up and down the stairs and sitting down on the couch. Going back.

I might try the Jlab Audio Flex Sport, I would still like better sound for gym time. If not, back to the Avantree ones.

Read: The Trouble With Buying Wireless Headphones »

We Should Make Global Elites Reduce Their Climate Crisis (scam) Footprints

I’m actually OK with this, since so many of these global elites are constantly yammering about Other People being forced to reduce their carbon footprints

Climate change: Global ‘elite’ will need to slash high-carbon lifestyles

The world’s wealthiest 1% account for more than twice the combined carbon emissions of the poorest 50%, according to the UN.

Their emissions gap report finds that the richest will need to rapidly cut their CO2 footprints to avoid dangerous warming this century.

The study finds that the global Covid-19 shutdown will have little long term impact on the climate. (snip)

While the report looks at the plans that governments have submitted to curb their CO2, it also examines the roles of lifestyles and consumption patterns of individuals.

The global top 10% of income earners use around 45% of all the energy consumed for land transport and around 75% of all the energy for aviation, compared with just 10% and 5% respectively for the poorest 50% of households, the report says. (snip)

And for the top 10% of earners, this would mean cuts to around one tenth of their current level.

But for the richest 1%, it would mean a dramatic reduction.

“The wealthy bear the greatest responsibility in this area,” Unep executive director Inger Anderson wrote in a foreword to the report.

So, when are the elites at the United Nations going to cut their own carbon footprints? Anyhow, how will these top 10% and top 1% be forced to reduce their footprints? The report is rather short on that. How about adding the political elites, and those who think they’re elites in the Credentialed Media?

I bet if we force compliance these elites who portray themselves as Warmists will change the hell out of their tunes. That same report, though, also says

(Breitbart) To that end the report outlines changes in “consumption behaviour by the private sector and individuals,” through various means.

These include individuals forgoing long-haul international return flights that could reduce personal footprints “by almost two tonnes of CO2” and an end to coal-fired power generation.

Switching to renewable electricity by households could curb carbon by around 1.5 tonnes per capita, according to the report, while embracing a vegetarian diet would save around half a tonne of carbon on average.

The latest recommendations as dictated by the U.N. include replacing domestic short haul flights with rail travel; promoting cycling and car-sharing while making housing more energy efficient.

You didn’t actually think the elites would be forced to make changes, right? They will come after you and me.

Read: We Should Make Global Elites Reduce Their Climate Crisis (scam) Footprints »

If All You See…

…is a horrible fossil fueled vehicle turning the world to desert, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Green Jihad, with a post on Los Angeles having its worst smog in decades.

Read: If All You See… »

Washington Post: Biden Reaching Out To Conservatives Is Doomed Or Something

It’s fantastic that this is being blamed on Conservatives before #ChinaJoe has even attempted any sort of reaching out

Any Biden effort to ‘reach out’ to conservatives is doomed

President-elect Joe Biden is not giving up on reaching out to the people who didn’t vote for him, even as most of them seem to believe he’s at the head of a plot to steal the election — and a significant portion believe he’s part of a global conspiracy of satanic, pedophile, cannibal, sex-traffickers.

Biden is determined, though, just as so many Democrats were before him. And like them, he’ll probably fail.

Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs reports that the Biden White House will be making a particular point of reaching out:

The Biden administration plans to create a position to find common ground with conservatives, said Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond, a senior adviser and director of the Office of Public Engagement for the president-elect. (snip)

This is a never-ending obsession with Democrats. How can we get conservatives to like us more? Is there some special strategy we can deploy, or argument we can make, that will open their hearts and minds to what we have to say?

When has this ever happened? Obama made zero effort to garner support from Republicans/Conservatives. When have Democrats attempted to convince Republicans? And, seriously, why would we support their Stateist policies?

It’s reinforced by a media double standard: Reporters seldom bother to ask Republicans what they’re doing to reach out to the other side, because everyone knows the answer is “nothing.”

Yeah, they never ask. Eye Roll. Usually they just oppose any Republican policy.

The truth is that Democrats reach out constantly. They hold forums to show they understand and care about rural issues. They support policies to give people in conservative states better health care and better education and more economic opportunities. They come up with plans to boost rural America. It doesn’t penetrate.

Well, yeah, we don’t want government control our lives and taking even more of our hard earned money. Go figure.

But Biden and Richmond should go ahead and try if they want. I’m sure that part of their theory — as it was for Barack Obama before them — is that even if your reaching out doesn’t accomplish much in the way of tangible benefits, at the very least it’s good to be seen reaching out, so you can say you tried in good faith.

Has Biden even attempted to reach out yet? Looking forward to the first time. And it will be the fault of you Darned Conservatives for failing to get on board with Modern Socialism.

Read: Washington Post: Biden Reaching Out To Conservatives Is Doomed Or Something »

After Five Years, What Has The Paris Climate Agreement Achieved?

The Paris Climate Agreement was totally, super duper historic! Climate elites pledging to pledge to force their serfs to do stuff. How’s it going 5 years in?

After five years, here are five things the Paris Agreement achieved — and didn’t

In the early hours of 13 December, 2015, Christiana Figueres walked into a sports bar in Paris and down the steps to the dance floor. The cheers were deafening.

Climate campaigners, negotiators and journalists were letting off steam, after a fortnight of intense negotiations had yielded a long overdue international climate pact.

The Costa Rican diplomat who led the UN climate body was greeted as a hero. Arms around each other’s shoulders, the throng belted out the Queen hit “We are the champions”.

Um, why were journalists involved in negotiations? Anyhow

Here are five things the Paris Agreement has achieved — and five things still to work for.

1) Political resilience

There is no doubt that president Donald Trump withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement was a body blow.

For his four-year term, the world’s second highest emitter would not pull its weight in carbon cuts, giving cover to others to slack off.

But the move did not, as some feared it would, lead to an exodus of like-minded nationalists from the pact. Even Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s deforester-in-chief, was persuaded to stay in. The US stood alone — and is set to rejoin under president-elect Joe Biden.

So, squishy stuff. The other 4 “achievements” are

  • Normalising 1.5C
  • Normalising net zero
  • Clean energy shift
  • Institutional change

So, nothing more than dreams, eh? Nothing concrete? How about the failures

1) Rising emissions

Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to grow, with a billion tonnes of CO2 added to annual figures between 2015 and 2018.

Oops.

2) Rising temperatures

As emissions rise, so too do temperatures. 2020 is set to be 1.2C warmer than pre-industrial times and among the three hottest years on record, despite the cooling effect of La Nina.

Of course, that’s nothing unusual than during a Holocene warm period. They used to blame Bad Weather on witchcraft, now it’s Someone Else driving a fossil fueled vehicle.

  • Rising fossil fuel production (bummer!)
  • The vulnerable suffer (why aren’t these climate cultists giving their own money to help?
  • International transport gets away (well, yeah, goods must be moved around the world)

Sure seems like there are quite a bit of failures for such an historic document.

Read: After Five Years, What Has The Paris Climate Agreement Achieved? »

North Carolina Joins Those Who Think COVID Is Most Dangerous At Night

Nighttime Bat Soup Virus lockdowns are the hot thing. You have all sorts of cities, like Chicago, El Paso, and Newark. Spain gave it a whirl. Israel is giving it a try (and, mind you, doing it correctly with a vote that sends it to their Parliament for approval). And California was doing it. How’d it work out there? Not good. Didn’t stop a thing

New NC order: Restaurants, bars and most retailers must close at 10 pm

Gov. Roy Cooper issued a new stay-at-home order on Tuesday to limit the spread of coronavirus, ordering most businesses to close at 10 p.m. each night, starting Friday.

“We have to act now to save lives, safeguard our hospital capacity and preserve our economy,” Cooper said during an afternoon news conference.

The order will require all restaurants, bars, personal care businesses and most retailers to be closed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations can remain open past 10 p.m. Alcohol sales for on-site consumption will have to end at 9 p.m.

The stay-at-home order “means just what it says – people are to stay home during those hours,” the governor said, noting that late-night gatherings have helped accelerate the spread of the virus in recent weeks.

“It’s pretty clear the later in the evening you go, the larger some of these gatherings can be at some of these businesses,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is to chip away at those times.”

Well, yeah, but, there are plenty of larger gatherings during the day. So, why close most retailers like personal care and such? Or gyms? You will have people in them, but, not that many, certainly not like 5pm. As it stands, not one so-called journalist bothered to ask exactly what the science shows, what studies were used, to come to the night time lockdowns.

Of course, I’d personally rather they do this than attempt to go with another daytime lockdown, shutting businesses which are already hurting, many of which would close permanently to join all the others which collapsed during the spring lockdown. It would be interesting to see just how many would comply. And how many law enforcement offices would refuse to enforce.

If you skip to around minute 19, you see Governor Roy Cooper, followed by Dr. Mandy Cohen. Both of them took their masks off in violation of the governor’s most recent mask order. Not one member of the Credentialed Media bothered to ask why they are allowed to remove their masks to talk, but the peons aren’t.

In fairness, Cooper has not been as burdensome or dictatorial as many other govs.

Oh, and

Read: North Carolina Joins Those Who Think COVID Is Most Dangerous At Night »

MSNBC: Seriously, The Last Thing We Need Is A COVID19 Vaccine

Some goalpost shifting from MSNBC’s Hayes Brown

A Covid vaccine is the last thing we need to think about right now

The good news is a given at this point: A Covid-19 vaccine is going to be available to Americans. You will eventually get it if everything stays on its current course. The bad news is that any vaccine that gets approved won’t help you personally for at least months.

It’s probably for the best that you try to forget that a vaccine has been discovered at all. At least for a while.

I repeat: You will not benefit from the vaccine directly for a good long while, because “a vaccine is approved” isn’t the same as “the pandemic is over.”

I know it’s hard to accept. I get it. We’ve been stuck in purgatory for months, unable to plan for — or even picture — the future. The pandemic has kept us unsure about when — or whether — things will ever be normal again.

With news of an imminent vaccine, the fog is starting to clear. It’s easy to make the mental leap that since things will be much better soon, the danger has abated now. As that’s not the case, it’s probably for the best that you try to forget that a vaccine has been discovered at all. At least for a while.

On one hand, this is true. Until most are vaccinated things will still be dangerous. Hey, you could get it and be asymptomatic, or, you could be one of the deaths. But, let’s be honest, the Fear Porn brokers at MSNBC, an arm of the Democratic National Committee, want to to continue living in fear, the better to control you. Remember when they were all saying things would get back to normal with a vaccine?

Even if the vaccine were ready for every man, woman and child today, the line to get vaccinated is already lengthy. Doctors and other health-care workers are predicted to receive the first doses because of their constant exposure to people who’ve tested positive for the coronavirus. Then will likely come nursing home residents, first responders, people with health risks associated with Covid-19, essential workers and on and on until you get to the rest of the population.

The better to keep you locked down and getting used to being Told What To Do by your political masters.

Estimates now indicate that there may not be enough vaccine for the general public until May or June — and that was before the news that the government may have problems ordering more from Pfizer. That hasn’t stopped people from already asking their doctors when they can get vaccinated. New York University’s Langone Hospital had to send out a text Monday saying that, essentially, its patients’ guesses were as good as its was. (snip)

And all that doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. We still need to see whether, as Fauci said, people who are immune to the virus can still spread it after being vaccinated. Which means that until you and everyone you know has had both shots, it’s probably best that you take the fact that a vaccine exists at all and lock it up in the back of your head. Instead, keep acting as though it’s still dangerous to see your friends and families as we head into the Christmas season. It’s all around for the best.

See, the idea here is to make it so Government can shut down your Christmas (but, don’t expect Government employees to forgo their holiday pay day off, you peons), and then shift the goal posts as the vaccine is coming out.

Trump should have talked to all the GOP governors and got them to declare the news business a “non-essential service”. Shut them down and see how quick they change their tune.

Read: MSNBC: Seriously, The Last Thing We Need Is A COVID19 Vaccine »

If All You See…

…is a wonderful carbon sucking tree, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is a rare link for The Gateway Pundit, with a post on 2060 dead people votes in one county in Michigan.

Read: If All You See… »

Texas Files Suit With Supreme Court Over Election Rules In Four States

This is a rather interesting move

Texas Sues Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin at Supreme Court over Election Rules

The State of Texas filed a lawsuit directly with the U.S. Supreme Court shortly before midnight on Monday challenging the election procedures in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on the grounds that they violate the Constitution.

Texas argues that these states violated the Electors Clause of the Constitution because they made changes to voting rules and procedures through the courts or through executive actions, but not through the state legislatures. Additionally, Texas argues that there were differences in voting rules and procedures in different counties within the states, violating the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. Finally, Texas argues that there were “voting irregularities” in these states as a result of the above.

Texas is asking the Supreme Court to order the states to allow their legislatures to appoint their electors. The lawsuit says:

Certain officials in the Defendant States presented the pandemic as the justification for ignoring state laws regarding absentee and mail-in voting. The Defendant States flooded their citizenry with tens of millions of ballot applications and ballots in derogation of statutory controls as to how they are lawfully received, evaluated, and counted. Whether well intentioned or not, these unconstitutional acts had the same uniform effect—they made the 2020 election less secure in the Defendant States. Those changes are inconsistent with relevant state laws and were made by non-legislative entities, without any consent by the state legislatures. The acts of these officials thus directly violated the Constitution.

…

This case presents a question of law: Did the Defendant States violate the Electors Clause by taking non-legislative actions to change the election rules that would govern the appointment of presidential electors? These non-legislative changes to the Defendant States’ election laws facilitated the casting and counting of ballots in violation of state law, which, in turn, violated the Electors Clause of Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution. By these unlawful acts, the Defendant States have not only tainted the integrity of their own citizens’ vote, but their actions have also debased the votes of citizens in Plaintiff State and other States that remained loyal to the Constitution.

Ultimately, this will not succeed even if the suit wins, because the fix is in. There are so many irregularities with the elections, so many cheats, and the group that is supposed to be the watchdog of government, the news media, couldn’t care less, and are protecting the Democrats. If the situation was reversed, and it was quite obvious there was cheating all around for Trump, they would be investigating non-stop.

Pennsylvania’s mail in ballot changes were unconstitutional. There is no question on that. It’s black and white. It doesn’t matter if there is a COVID pandemic, we are either a nation of Law or a nation of Men. The standards for the mail-in ballots was significantly lowered. Signatures were ignored. Etc and so on, you’ve heard this all before. Unfortunately, the fix is in, and has been for quite some time. Why did we see all these changes in the swing states that Biden needed to beat Trump in, and all the irregularities? And those who are in on it are saying “what are you going to do about? Go on home, boy, you bother me. Get over it.”

Read: Texas Files Suit With Supreme Court Over Election Rules In Four States »

Will Biden’s HHS Pick Turn Agency Into Cult of Climastrology Member?

We aren’t quite sure what California AG Xavier Becerra, nominated to be Biden’s head of Health and Human Services pick, is planning on doing, other than making sure there are zero restrictions on abortion and strengthening the Obamacare failures. Will he do something about climate change (scam)? Warmists hope so

Will Biden’s top health nominee prescribe a better climate?

Xavier Becerra, the first Latino attorney general of California, has been a thorn in the Trump administration’s side since President Donald Trump moved into the White House nearly four years ago.

Becerra and a battalion of Democratic attorneys general have taken Trump to task over health care, immigration, and much else, but time and again Becerra singled out the environment as his issue of choice, leading challenges against the administration’s assaults on the National Environmental Policy Act, regulations limiting methane emissions from oil and gas facilities, and California’s vehicle efficiency standards, among other things. He filed more than 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration over its handling of the environment. (snip)

Once he’s done with that, Becerra could turn to an even trickier crisis: the public health effects of climate change. Last week, a major report in the medical journal The Lancet outlined the myriad ways in which rising temperatures and other consequences of climate change are worsening public health around the globe. The researchers found that heat, wildfires, infectious disease, livestock production, and other climate-related risks are straining healthcare systems already buckling under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the longer term, the report demonstrated that climate change threatens to undo the past 50 years of gains in global public health.

There’s that garbage Lancent study again.

Becerra could go beyond those recommendations. On Monday, Evergreen Action, a climate policy and advocacy group started by former presidential campaign staffers for Governor Jay Inslee of Washington, unveiled five ways the department could help mobilize a national climate change response, some of which build on parts of the Biden campaign’s platform. “Biden’s choice of Attorney General Becerra signals that HHS is prepared to prioritize climate like never before,” the group said.

Inslee’s group (let’s not forget that Inslee was the climate change candidate, and his primary campaign flamed out very, very early) says that “every federal agency must become a climate agency.” Start with doing away with all fossil fueled vehicles for employees of HHS.

Evergreen Action suggests Becerra could use the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a federal program aimed at helping low income families with energy costs, to help states pay for renewable energy projects, energy efficiency, home electrification, and weatherization. Such a directive would help low-income Americans through the economic fallout of the pandemic, the group says, by lowering energy bills. Becerra could also tap the National Institutes of Health, the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, to fund more research into the consequences of rising temperatures on public health. The NIH currently spends less than 2 percent of its budget on climate-related research.

I’m sure those low income families would be pretty appreciative of some weatherization, eh? Maybe getting back to work would be a bit better.

Read: Will Biden’s HHS Pick Turn Agency Into Cult of Climastrology Member? »

Pirate's Cove