Viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Nature’s triple threat.
The PBS Newshour covers critical research into a new generation of antibiotics. Boston’s home team includes the Broad (pronounced “Brode”) Institute, MIT, and Mass General Hospital. I have a niece who works in one of the labs at the Broad.
A significant factor in the rise of drug-resistant bacteria has been the overuse of antibiotics, especially in animals.
Through all of my eye troubles long ago, from a detached retina to cataract replacement lenses, I learned to switch “eye dominance.” My left eye is for “close up” sight. My right eye is corrected for distance vision. This works very well for me.
By mentally de-emphasizing the “distance vision” in my right eye, I can usually get by without reading glasses. Looking up across the room, my right eye takes the lead. This happens automatically, without a thought.
I wear glasses when driving, to bring my left eye up to 20/20. The lenses in my distance glasses are getting scratched, so I’m going to make an appointment to get a new pair.
The fun part of an eye exam is after the prescription is getting close to correct, when the optometrist quickly flips the lenses back and forth in the phoropter. The question may go from “Which looks better?” to “Which do you prefer?”
That’s what it’s all about concerning so many things in life — what’s better vs. personal preference. In economics, this leads to discussions of cost/benefit analysis and diminishing returns. So, let’s make some comparisons.
I have the first and second generations of the Tangzu Waner in-ear monitor plugged into the porch’s laptop PC. (One of them is plugged into a USB-C DAC/Amp adapter.)
The most significant difference between the two products is how they fit. The Waner 2 is much worse in this regard, as I explain in my Amazon review.
https://amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RE391S18LDF8F?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp
Regarding the measured frequency response curves for the two products, they are very similar overall. Yet, as stated in the review, the W2 is significantly brighter sounding in the upper treble.
Which is better? Neither. Which do I prefer? Both. It depends on the music being played. Both products cost only $20, so there is no diminishing return on the price.
If you can stand it, I’ll have some more comparisons coming up, regarding images rather than sound. First, I’ll return to music listening.
The original Waner is better for Pop and Rock music, and the Waner 2 is my preferred pair for Classical music. Here are all nine of Schubert’s symphonies from the good folks at the Brilliant Classics label.
Mister Whoopee explains the economic failure of windmill power, and the dangers. These include noise, bird shredding, and cancer.
Wait. Maybe I shouldn’t jump to false conclusions.
The world needs more cartoons with a walrus and a bird.
Despite claims that the Trump Phone is shipping, the product is nowhere to be seen, other than the single unit that NBC holds. For now, we should assume it’s a pre-production sample.
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/22/no-sign-of-fabled-trump-phone-in-the-wild.html
Until regular customers start receiving their Trump phones, it seems likely this is yet another Trump Scam.
Trump Mobile CEO says the phones are shipping. The terms and conditions say it doesn’t have to.
https://mashable.com/article/trump-mobile-t1-terms-conditions-never-release
NBC has gotten hold of a Trump phone. Wait. What’s this? It has a headphone jack!
Why isn’t there a Trump Edition iPhone? It would have been much easier. Because it would have harmed the Apple brand.
Jack Kirby now has a New York street named in his honor.
Advanced Idea Mechanics, AIM, was created by Jack Kirby to oppose another one of his creations, SHIELD. An organization of brilliant, amoral scientists and engineers, wearing outfits lifted from Dr. No, AIM didn’t see itself as being necessarily evil or good. It was simply working for itself, as if the only goal of the Manhattan Project in developing and testing the first atomic bombs had been to prove it could be done.
Where AIM screwed up was in creating Modok. He was supposed to serve the aims of AIM, but he quickly dominated them and took over the organization. You can see where I’m going with this, regarding Artificial Intelligence.
Right now I’m listening to American Top 40 on SiriusXM, with one of my ten pairs of inexpensive wired IEM earphones. I enjoy making comparisons between them.
Today’s listening selection is with the first version of the 7Hz Salnotes Zero IEM. (There’s a second version that I also have.) I came upon this website with a review of the Salnotes that I hadn’t seen before.
https://audioreview.frieve.com/products/en/7hz-salnotes-zero/
Frieve Audio calls itself, “An audio company and product meta-review site that surveys dozens of sources worldwide and publishes reviews that can be treated as final conclusions.” I’m pointing this out because Frieve is obviously a work of AI that’s dependent upon other sources, most notably Audio Science Review.
The process of AI’s recursive consumption and regurgitation of its own sh*t will eventually prove the old adage of garbage in, garbage out. If it isn’t doing that already in some areas of interest.
