(Cartoonist’s note: I told you I wouldn’t be spending a lot of energy on the site as it appears here, but things were getting a tad shabby. I did tidy a bit.)
For Christmas, I received a set of wireless earbuds, so I can go to sleep listening to audio books without strangling myself. The drone of an audio-book reader helps me drift off at night, except it conditions my brain to shut down anytime I hear a book being read, even when I want to listen. I had to stop playing audio books while driving. Anyway, unlike some devices, the Bluetooth technology works great. The only problem is, the left earbud won’t stay in my ear. It just falls right out, unless I really jam it in there to the point of discomfort, and even then it will quickly work its way back out if I so much as cough. I’ve tested all three sizes of the little rubber cushions that were included, to no avail. I’m worried one is going to come off deep in my ear. It’s a good thing my brother is an audiologist.
34 responses to “Just Follow Me”
I love to listen to audiobooks. I get get from the library and listen to them on my drive to work. I have about a 25 minute drive and it makes it seem a lot shorter. I also like to listen while driving in long trips.
When my wife worked as a producer in TV news many years ago, the anchors would have an IFB that my wife would talk through (we used to joke with the female anchors about the name .I guess we can’t do that now)
They had standard ones and many reporters would literally have to hold them in but the anchors would have molds made of their ears so that the IFB could nestle in without being seen.
Finding an earpiece that fits is an ever ending quest.
IFB, (Interruptable Feed Back) has changed over the years, not the ear piece issue but the method in which the audio is sent from the producer to the reporter or anchor. In days past the path was analog radio which we know travels at the speed of light. The cue to talk was instantaneous. Now most stations use cell phones to deliver producer audio to the reporter. That audio is significantly delayed as it is sent through a digital network. Today you’ll see reporters shaking their head for a few moments before they start their report as they are just getting the verbal cue after their camera goes live. If the producer forgets turn off the reporter’s feedback during the report, the reporter will whip the earpiece off as it is nearly impossible to speak when hearing yourself delayed in your ear.
Thus endeth today’s local TV news trivia!
i wondered why they stood there stupidly nodding and smiling for a few seconds before speaking. Thanks for the explanation.
Aw, Janis, don’t be that way—
Part of my career is spent teaching young adults to dance–we start with the one-step and dance to Louis Armstrong; it’s practically walking to the beat, and many have to practice till they can do it. Then they can.
I have seen bluetooth headband earphones on different sites. Maybe you need to look into those.
10-15 years ago, I used a pillow speaker for “ambient music,” downloaded from the NPR Hearts of Space program, to slow my brain after I got into bed. It’s simply a 2- or 3-inch diameter speaker in a round plastic case, intended to be unobtrusive under the pillow. Monaural, with a standard earphone cord and plug. I’d send you mine; my wife would object if I used it nowadays.
My kindergarten class had to learn a waltz. Then one of my elementary classes taught us square dance along with some others I no longer remember. After that, I never learned another step till I joined the SCA and learned some of the English country dances. If you want an aerobic workout, try Black Nag, the Gay Gordon, and some of those.
I have similar problems with ear buds…won’t stay in. I finally got a pair of bluetooth headphones. The problem with listening to audiobooks when you’re lying in bed is that I drift off without knowing it and then I have to try and back up to the last bit I remember.
You could just duck it! Of course you’d get residue from the tape…
“I’m a man,
but I can change,
if I have to,
I guess.”
Remember “The Red Green Show?” Duct tape could do anything.
Yep! “Quando omni flunkus moritati!” (“If all else fails, play dead!”) We got so nostalgic about it a few months ago that we bought the box set DVDs. Thoroughly enjoying it all over again!
Loved Red Green! And I use the above quote often… just leave out the “man” part!
I went through more pairs of earbuds before I finally dug into my wallet and sprung (sprang?) for a set of custom-molded ones. They have never fallen out. The audiologist who made the molds told me I had weird ear canals, “like a little kid’s!” and that was why off-the-rack in-ear buds didn’t work for me. Since your bro is an audiologist, you could get a family discount!
Seriously, it might be a little bit of an overstatement to say they changed my life, but… they changed my life. I use them for exactly what you do — listening while falling asleep.
Hey, that’s a great idea!
This was recently shown on How-To-Geek. I hope to try the “memory foam” earbuds.
https://www.reviewgeek.com/11280/the-best-replacement-earbud-tips/?utm_source=howtogeek&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
I can do your earmold impressions but the earbuds will have to be sent in with the impressions.
Should get them back in 7 – 10 days.
Do I get the family discount?!
On my Chrome Favorites bar, I used to have a picture of Arlo with my bookmark. Now it looks like a devil…in purple!
JJ does have a wicked sense of humor…
I took a closer look. It’s Luddie!
Oh you’re right. I guess another example of cats getting a bad rap!
When the Arlo favicon went up, people said he looked like a turkey. And he did! It’s a small space to work with.
favicon…that was the word that I was looking for.
Sure, with a small gratuity for making it.
Can my husband be your brother too?
Great! I suppose I’ll have to wash my ears now.
hey, the green is gone and the yellow is back. Progress!
I never heard of custom molded earpieces for earbuds. Thanks for the information. I still use the wired headphones myself. I don’t read myself to sleep since I have a CPAP. I put the mask on, stretch out and get comfortable, and that’s all folks! I did get some bluetooth headphones that look like the old standard over the head kind so I can watch tv without disturbing my neighbors.
The yellow is back (I kinda liked your drawing board) but is noticeably wider than the green – tolerable on my PC, not so great on my tablet.
All the talk of earbuds…I just use a Bluetooth speaker– why worry about injecting the sound into my ears when I can share it with the whole room?
Ditto, David. Also, I can’t think piping sound directly into your ears is particularly good for your hearing. I’d hate to think mine had survived rock concerts, flying airplanes, and sending a considerable number of rounds down range just to damage it now.
Re 1-16-19 cartoon: It appears someone is still having trouble getting into Janis’s pants.
It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does I’m not too proud to admit it…I didn’t get this one right away. Perhaps I was distracted by the underwear art, but I had to have Jackie’s help. Actually, she only had to say one word…”boobs”…for me to catch on. Well played, Mr. Johnson.
Perhaps out of the loop again [nerd prof emeritus?], but I don’t get this. Opus has just given up on bldg. a Wall.
https://www.gocomics.com/bloom-county/2019/01/13
Peace,
He was commenting on Nancy Pelosi taking over gavel as speaker. Doesn’t say he stopped the Croc Wall for bassolopes.