Posts by Jesse Sanchez90

Lawrence Wells said:You really ought to check out Vineyard—they have some incredible audiology specialists over there.

While an audiologist can definitely pin down the extent of the hearing loss, anything beyond that really falls into the hands of an ear surgery subspecialist.

That’s why getting a referral to the ENT department at Vineyard is such a smart move—it’s one of those powerhouse institutions where you can actually get seen within a pretty reasonable timeframe.

We could sit here and guess all day long, but honestly, it won't change anything ☕—regardless of what those psychotropic medications are supposed to be doing, my best advice is to go talk to a specialist. In this situation, you really want to see a gastroenterologist who can run a physical exam and an ultrasound (it’s a quick and easy process). It would be a huge help if you could show up already having your blood work done, specifically making sure those liver function tests are included.
Anything else besides that is just pure guesswork from charlatans. 👎

Sam Hall15 said:But I will certainly try to avoid illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes...

Managing DM is one thing, but trying to dodge hypertension on your own is a much tougher battle—about 90% of cases are essential hypertension, meaning there isn't even a specific underlying cause you can just fix.

vividpilot47 said:Thanks for the straight answer. I’ve been digging around online, but it’s like this is some forbidden topic—nobody seems to have actual experience with this surgery. It’s been a month now and nothing is improving. I saw a private ENT specialist who told me a 4mm hole won't just close up on its own, but then another specialist said it could. Then a doctor told me it might heal itself and there's no need to worry, and so on and so forth. Nobody actually knows anything concrete.

It's honestly unbelievable to me that there isn't anything out there to speed up the process or jumpstart the healing.

As for the surgery itself, I don't know a single person who has gone through it. I've checked both local and international forums, but unfortunately, there's zero commentary on such a massive undertaking.

It’s not quite an SF—though they certainly try to take a conservative approach to solving these issues. In this specific case, we're looking at spontaneous healing if those membrane pieces happen to overlap perfectly. The real question is what kind of scarring occurs during that healing process, and how much that scar might distort the sound transfer, given that the membrane's elasticity could be compromised.
The measurements seem a bit inconsistent here; you mentioned 1mm first, but then later suggested it could be up to 4mm.
That is a massive difference...
Still, someone will eventually step up and perform the operation...

Amanda Lee31 said:What do you all think about this photo? What could it be?

The patient isn't pregnant. The ultrasound looks fine.

When it comes to human health, we shouldn't be playing guessing games—it’s just not worth the risk.

If an ultrasound was actually performed, there really should be some sort of written report or findings to go along with it. Usually, before even getting to an ultrasound, a doctor would perform a standard physical exam involving palpation and auscultation.
It's also important to run at least a regular set of blood tests, and then potentially expand on those later depending on what they show.
Plus, an ultrasound should clearly indicate which organ, body cavity, or fluid source is causing that specific mass or area to show up on the scan.
And so on, and so forth...

Quote:>

gariful says: Hey everyone! Does anyone happen to know of any good books on dermatology written for "mere mortals"? I'm looking for something that isn't overly dense or strictly academic, but still covers the fundamentals and dives a bit deeper into skin diseases and conditions. If nothing quite like that exists, I wouldn't mind a more professional textbook either. I've been browsing some online bookstores, but everything seems way too specialized. It feels like every book focuses on one tiny niche rather than giving a broad, slightly more accessible overview of the whole field. Thanks in advance! 🙂

Of course! Just head over to Wikipedia. 😉

Charles Ramos7 said:People have already talked about American entrepreneurship:

Oh boy... 🤣 They really aren't pulling any punches—they claim Americans are such hard workers:
"If Americans were truly a hardworking nation, it would show in the fact that only two percent of them would work less or stop working entirely after receiving a large inheritance."

Can you imagine? We're faster than Speedy Gonzales when it comes to trying to jump into every possible retirement plan out there...

"A major reason for the lack of entrepreneurial spirit in America is fixed working hours (31 percent)" — which explains why our bars and pubs are always packed... (not to be too blunt!)

But this part right here is where the real issue lies: 🙄
"The skepticism toward entrepreneurship in America is best illustrated by the fact that only one-third (32 percent) view entrepreneurs positively. It’s concerning that nearly half of all citizens (47 percent) view them neutrally, and as many as 17 percent actually see them as negative influences. In stark contrast to Americans, 83 percent of Danes view entrepreneurs as a beneficial part of society, while only one percent view them negatively."

Charles Ramos7 said:I’d say they’re just cautious about investing. People are scared to start a business because of the bureaucracy, corruption, and those ridiculous fines for tiny mistakes while the big corporations get a free pass....
This isn't just an issue with Agritourism; it's a reflection of the overall state of the economy.

And honestly, if someone already owns property, I doubt they'd find it that hard to fix up two or three rooms for guests if they actually wanted to get into the game.

Hmm... But it feels like all of this is starting to look a bit exaggerated. It seems strange that such a huge number of people would be afraid of something purely imaginary that doesn't even have much basis in reality.
Are people really so stuck in their ways, cemented by that sweet, cynical attitude of pampered city life, that they refuse to budge at all?

Charles Ramos7 said:It's not a Columbus egg at all. I know a guy in California who rents out a house with a pool in a tiny town where there isn't even a grocery store or a cafe nearby (you need a car just to survive), and he's doing so well he's already building another one further out. Personally, I wouldn't go there even if they paid me—not just because of that, there are other issues—but hey, the demand is clearly there. In fact, for someone offering food along with the lodging, that lack of options might actually be a huge advantage.

So, what exactly do you see as the issue here? Are our people just lazy? Too fearful of taking risks? Or do they just settle for less because it's easier to sit around and complain?

briskseal32 said:I guess, without wanting to be rude, it seems like you might not actually live in a tourist area, so maybe you don't know all that much about how tourism works. It shows a bit in the way you talk, like you think the government is basically obligated to just hand tourists to farmers on a silver platter. 🙄

I guess America doesn't really offer things to tourists... it's more like the local business owners in the tourism industry do.
The situation in the Midwest is just like this because everyone is waiting around for the government to finally step up and do something... I guess.
Maybe it’s a mistake to think that tourists only need greasy food from questionable places and a couple of little museums to be happy, I guess. Shopping, I guess. Maybe just a little bit. Maybe somewhere in Canada, I guess. 😳 Everywhere you look, it’s just small towns and mud... I guess I had a really bad experience in the Midwest, unfortunately. 😢

I guess maybe I should have mentioned California as a great example of how agritourism can really take off. Maybe I just missed it, I guess. 😍

Hmm... I think you're leaning a bit too heavily into that strictly liberal-capitalist mindset.
The government should have a vested interest in creating the right conditions so that its citizens can actually find opportunities to start businesses for themselves. Right now, the trend we see is the state just handing things out—and that’s where the trouble starts. They provide subsidies, social assistance, pensions... but that's the catch: none of those things actually give you the baseline capital needed to build something that can grow and multiply.
Take a look at how they do things in places like the border regions near the Midwest or near Istenič—you'll see signs from vineyards stating that the project was funded by the EU. How? 😲 The government's role there was to inform its citizens about these possibilities and make sure those citizens could decide to invest. Essentially, helping them secure initial capital that is actually manageable to pay back with reasonable interest rates, rather than the mess we deal with here...
In the Netherlands, credit is handled so well that specialized loans carry interest rates as low as 2%. 😲 🙄
So, true "incentivizing" isn't just giving handouts. What we have now isn't actually incentivizing socio-economic growth; it's just encouraging dependency on mass consumerism. The whole economy feels like it's built on nothing but harvesting sales tax—it's basically just a constant shake-down.

As for the quality of the offerings—criticizing isn't enough; you need to be specific.

Of course, that kind of food would need to be strictly regulated by HACCP standards, which wouldn't take away from its authentic, local feel.

Charles Ramos7 said:The thing is, a farm stay is only required to offer garden produce. If you’re renting a room or an apartment in the countryside, they can legally serve Coca-Cola sweets, or they don't have to offer food at all, like in that link. You correctly noted it was Zimmer Frei. That's my whole point. I'm not saying Zimmer Frei has to be bad; I just want to clarify what things are so you know what to expect—and what you can legitimately complain about if it's not what you expected.
As for why there aren't any bakers or butchers... it's probably just market forces. There simply isn't the demand.

Sure they can serve food, but that misses the point. We really want to encourage local food production for the specific region or municipality.
Look, not every "room only" stay is bad—not at all! But here, we’re specifically trying to discuss how to add value to a standard room-only booking.

True, but there’s no demand when there isn't any substance—meaning, there aren't enough people looking for actual things to do or see...
It looks like we’ve all fallen into the trap of Columbus's egg...🙄

Charles Ramos7 said:Maybe look at it this way:

http://www.villabornstein.com/

But just because something is agritourism doesn't mean it's automatically a farm stay.

I think we might be talking past each other regarding the terminology. Agritourism can technically cover just about anything 🙏 (and sometimes it’s more of an information-based concept than a physical one), but there is a very specific legal definition for what constitutes a farm stay under the Hospitality Law, and you obviously can't have one without an actual farmer on site. 🙂

That’s a fair point, but honestly, if the price stays exactly the same whether you stay for three days or seven, there's a huge missed opportunity here. What's missing—and I think this is the most important part—is the actual local flavor. Where is the selection of regional specialties and local products? If I'm traveling, why should I be forced to hunt down a restaurant every single night? It would be so much better if guests had the chance to actually cook in their own little cottage. Who knows, maybe you have a friend who happens to be an incredible chef and wouldn't mind whipping up something special in a home kitchen... that kind of experience is what makes a trip memorable!

In France, for example, you often see this incredible synergy between a home and its local community. It’s a beautiful way of doing things because that connection creates so much value for everyone involved.

This is essentially just a fancy version of Zimmer Frei...

amberskipper3 said:Yeah, I gotta say, I’d be pretty shocked if it wasn't Microsoft Excel—but honestly, probably a bunch of other PC programs too.
There's really no need to overcomplicate things.
Look, on most of these Agritourism spots, the owners go all out and raise their own livestock right there on the property, but honestly? It’s not like you actually need them to run the show. If you're looking to get your hands on fresh, local goods from nearby producers, it's seriously no big deal. You can find everything you need without any hassle.
The owners have everything out there—vegetable gardens, some farm animals, orchards, beehives... you name it.
The idea that an agritourism farm is just some glorified farming operation? That’s completely wrong. Seriously, it's a total misconception.

I'm right there with you. When we head out to the countryside, our main goal is just to unwind and indulge in some local treats. Honestly, whether those ingredients came straight from the host's garden or were picked up from a neighbor doesn't really matter to us—as long as they aren't frozen Ledo Sweets!
In essence, why bother overcomplicating things with zoning and land parceling? Wouldn't it be much better if a single small town functioned as a little ecosystem where every house specialized in something different? Imagine one place being the baker, another the butcher, a third running the local tavern, and a fourth providing fresh milk. You could even have an internet cafe or a little bookstore. It’s all about leveling up the local offerings.

Are we really trying to rediscover a way of life that worked perfectly fine for centuries before us? 🙄

Charles Ramos7 said:Actually, it doesn't sound that crazy. Go to any hotel that offers packages, and the main dining room is strictly for guests—there isn't even a way to ring up outside customers. I've honestly never seen anyone from outside the hotel eating in those dining areas anywhere in the world. Besides, they probably wouldn't be able to handle ala carte orders anyway since everything is pre-planned on set menus. Some larger hotels have separate ala carte restaurants nearby where outsiders might be able to eat, though usually only with a reservation.

Legally, they could probably register it as a separate entity, but maybe they just don't have the space and can't risk hotel guests waiting for a table. 🤷

I'm not taking sides here, I'm just guessing what the situation might be.

I guess I might have missed out on some travels then, because you actually have a perfect example right in Saint Martin:
there’s a restaurant there that serves both the hotel guests and people just passing by on the road. In fact, they aren't even customers of the spa itself...

Take Sinful Gorica, for example: I was there recently, and most people were basically running for the hills.
It seems like since they first opened, they haven't put a single cent into renovations or upgrades.
The signage just before you hit the restaurant is a mess, the parking lot is uneven and unkempt, and the access for hiking enthusiasts is pretty rough. You walk into the place and practically have to sprint through the dining area hoping to find someone, only to realize—there’s nobody there....

On the other hand, we hopped in the car and went *vroom* right across the border into the Hilly Region, USA: everything is pristine. No overgrown grass, perfectly maintained bike paths, and we pulled into the Amon restaurant in Podčetrtko: a waiter was at our table immediately, and we scored a spot right on the balcony overlooking the scenery. There's even a little mini-golf course nearby. Around here, trying to pull something like that feels like a total scam because instead of people actually gathering, local businesses struggle; they don't have the capital to run their own thing, so they try to band together to approach a Large Market, USA to buy them out, just hoping for a fair price on land without getting ripped off.
They also have hot springs nearby (unlike the ones we have in our Hilly Region)—the difference is night and day, despite being separated by just a railroad track that, unfortunately, isn't running due to Schengen rules. 😠

Did you know that local governments are supposed to collect property taxes from owners within their county, including land tax, which nowadays seems to only apply to vacation homes? Now, I’m not trying to feed ideas to Shuki, but wouldn't it be better to force those crooks to buy land at a fair market price? That way, they’d actually pay taxes to Shuki (instead of how it works now) and create jobs in wellness tourism—which is exactly what our country is built for, whether we like to admit it or not.
Imagine if we had been destined to live in mining towns instead...🙄

Jamie Davis17 said:I’m not entirely sure if this belongs under Agritourism—though we are talking about a rural location and a hotel that offers horseback riding and things like that—so if it doesn't fit, please feel free to move it elsewhere.
A situation caught me completely off guard a few days ago. We were driving back from the coast using the old road, and near the area around the NP, we decided we really wanted some lamb for dinner. We pulled up to this one hotel, only to be turned away because they apparently only serve their own guests. 🤷That is literally what the guy at the front desk told us. I mean, there is zero food available for anyone just stopping by. Honestly, how is anyone supposed to succeed in business with an attitude like that? How am I meant to conclude that they are good hosts or even consider booking a weekend stay there if that’s my first interaction with them? I was just so disappointed. I keep seeing all these reports in the news about how the government isn't investing enough, but when owners take this kind of stance, 👎they are really just doing more harm to themselves (kind of like the example brisknomad6 mentioned this past winter).

Look, we can all agree that the issue here is multi-layered and comes from several different angles.
If things had been handled correctly from the get-go, we wouldn't be in this mess—because, strangely enough, 🙄 it would actually make sense for that hotel to have an open restaurant. Or whatever else their actual motivation might be...

The real issue here is that everything is built on shaky ground. It's like trying to paint a chair when you don't even have the money for a single screw or a cushion, or when there's no clear vision of what the chair should even look like or how it ought to function. That's my little allegory for the situation.😍

amberskipper3 said:When you're getting a tourism business off the ground, the most important thing is figuring out exactly who your guests are going to be.
If you're mostly hosting locals for a day or two, they probably aren't looking to get their hands dirty in a field or help you prep winter preserves.
Foreign travelers, on the other hand, absolutely live for that kind of experience. They don't really care about being productive; they just find pure joy in it. There’s this one family from the Netherlands that’s been coming to the Mountainous Region for years just to mess around in the garden and help out with the animals and the farm.
Regarding the rooms and lodging setup—official categorization gives you a clear roadmap of what you need to meet. As for decor and trying to make things look "fancy"—honestly, less is more.
A fireplace is a huge plus, along with that smell of woodsmoke and cooking up local specialties that define the area...

It really depends—I grew up in the city, and before I turned 20, I hadn't even seen a cow in person until I went home to visit a college friend! So yeah, 🙄 it’s true, but that’s just how it is...
I completely agree with everything else mentioned here....
I’ve been looking at things in France lately (their classification system is obviously different from ours), and the houses there are decorated quite asstetically—but they are furnished in a way that ensures a person has everything they need for that specific moment. They offer great value-adds; for instance, they might mention providing homemade food in the kitchen, and suddenly you have a happy guest who will travel all that way just to watch grapes grow or wander down local backroads.

Ultimately, they get to truly relax because the pace of their vacation is dictated by their own tempo and the local offerings, rather than feeling like they're stuck in some urban pizza joint in Washington, D.C. or something similar...🙄

Harold Jackson32 said:My parents are from the Žumberak region, a pretty little area about an hour or an hour and a half's drive from Washington, D.C. via some decent paved roads. The town is mostly filled with elderly folks who can’t really look after themselves, and honestly, I doubt they even know the internet exists, let alone anything about agritourism. My folks built a decent little weekend cottage out there; they have some land and basically spend their time doing small-scale hobby farming.
I head out there often just to soak up the peace, the quiet, all that greenery, and the birdsong... mowing the grass, digging up potatoes, picking plums... and every single time, I think about how incredible it would be to actually live there and do exactly what you guys are talking about. Hard work isn't the issue; it's the logistics. Where does the startup capital come from? How do you kit out the space? What do people actually want out of a weekend like that? What are their expectations regarding food? I'm talking things like homemade preserves, warm flatbreads, bacon and onions, or hearty porridge... give me some examples of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners you’d actually crave. And besides nature and silence, what else are you looking for in a getaway? Activities? Would people show up to help with the plum or grape harvest? I highly doubt anyone is driving out there to play tennis. Or maybe they would? Also, what should the accommodations look like—what kind of setup are we talking about? I’m genuinely curious about your expectations because I’m still chewing on this idea.
I'll get into the paperwork, investments, government grants, and all that later. For now, I just want to know: what actually draws city dwellers out to spend a weekend in the countryside?

Take cycling tourism, for example... you see that popping up everywhere lately. Companies are actually teaming up with tourist spots by integrating bike testing centers directly into the local attractions. It’s a win-win-win situation: the bike manufacturers find it way easier to move inventory because people can test ride models before committing to a purchase; the local towns benefit from the influx of travelers passing through or staying over; and the tourists themselves get to try out high-end gear and enjoy an incredible getaway in nature.

As for the food—please, just don't serve the same uninspired stuff you can find on every single street corner in 🙄 Washington, D.C., or Vienna—you know the drill. You've got to play around with different ingredients to create a unique flavor profile...

One more thing: you really have to invest in the location itself. It shouldn't feel like some run-down house that was just given a quick facelift. It’s not about being flashy or extravagant; it’s about giving guests the impression that there is constant care and attention being poured into the place, even if they are sitting on furniture from IKEA.
Maybe offer activities like fishing, or if there's space for riding, outdoor adventures; maybe even paintball for the guys 🤔 or just some simple, hands-on farm chores for those folks who spend their entire work week glued to a computer screen...

Regarding the distance—I honestly believe people will travel if you offer something truly original without breaking the bank. It’s not that everyone is looking for a bargain or trying to take advantage of someone; it’s just that families often can't afford to go on big trips every single weekend. It makes much more sense for them to save up for a longer trip to a destination that offers enough value and variety that they’ll actually want to come back again and again.

wanderingrider17 said:This truly captures the essence of our struggle. I remember someone once remarked that if you want to get things done in Western Europe, it’s like being a train running steadily along its tracks. But here? If you actually try to make progress, it feels like everyone is working together just to shove you right off the rails.

What an incredible metaphor: 👍

amberskipper3 said:As for this whole "getting paid" thing, that's a whole different beast.
From federal agencies down to local communities, prices are basically determined by who can grease which palms.
My buddies just weren't ready for that reality.

And that’s exactly my point—this is our biggest tragedy: we just aren't ready to shake this off and finally hold these mafia-style tactics accountable.
Sure, nothing changes unless it starts at the top with the government and then moves to the banks—but around here, nobody seems willing to step up, pick a fight with them, or even try to build some real domestic competition.