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I’m on my third aquarium filter in as many weeks. I’ve been attempting to find one that works (the first one quit and wouldn’t start again) and isn’t as loud of a helicopter hovering over my house (the second was that loud). With number three I seem to have found a keeper. It is important to note the price doubled each time… blimey.

The word “silent” is used quite often in the fish-keeping community. These people must be severely hearing impaired. I concede there may be some silent Emperor 280s out there, mine wasn’t one of them. There might even be some silent Eheim ecco 2234s out there, mine isn’t one of them either. The Eheim is quiet, but it’s not silent. The quietness comes mostly from the fact it’s enclosed in a cabinet, otherwise it might even be as loud as the Emperor; although more smooth — none of that scraping and vibrating horror.

So here’s a semantics/definition lesson for everyone; silent means no sound, none, at all, period. If it makes any sound at all, it is not silent. If you want to qualify your statement by using a contrast or a comparison, by all means do, but saying car horn is silent doesn’t work, unless you’re comparing it to standing next to a rocket engine at ignition.

Perhaps that is the problem, the lack of stated comparison. There are many filters out there and apparently the industry and its consumers haven’t heard about that little thing known as a decibel. It’s amazing really, it’s a measurement of sound… the more decibels something is, the louder it is. If you want to buy a fan for your computer you’ll be met with a bunch of different numbers, if you’re looking at a fan made with any sort of quality you’ll see the sound measurement right in there along with the cubic feet per minute of air moved. This allows for a concrete comparison between products, even if the numbers are slightly off, it still gives a general idea.

This whole quiet, noisy, silent business is like saying that wool is soft; it is compared to burlap, but it isn’t compared to cashmere.

I might have horrible luck, three defective products from three different stores, but I doubt it. The two Marineland products, the Penguin 150 (the one that just quit working after a week) and the Emperor definitely had issues though. The vibration coming from the Emperor prior to swapping out the impeller was unbelievably awful. The company was nice enough to send a new impeller and housing, that stopped most of the awful vibration, but it was still too loud to have within five feet of my head. I seriously was getting a headache anytime I’d sit down at my desk. I’ll be able to deal with the Eheim’s humming, but I don’t think I’d want an ecco in my bedroom. Considering that the ProII line is twice as expensive yet, which is rather insane for something that truly is simplistic, it better actually be silent, and I mean silent by definition, not the opinion of someone that has used a jackhammer without hearing protection for thirty years.

I’ve been cigarette-free for an entire month.

I’m taking two Commit lozenges a day, roughly eight hours apart, typically at noon and then after dinner at 8pm. According to the Commit program schedule I should still be taking nine of them per day, uhmm, no.

Oddly enough, this most package of lozenges actually seem to dissolve within the prescribed period of time. As much as the hour, and up to an hour and a half, dissolving time was annoying, I’d grown rather used to it; now that burst of nicotine is overwith rather quickly.

I have become addicted to licorice flavored starlights (like the mints, but obviously not minty). I suppose that isn’t quite so bad in comparision.

No matter how much I might occasionally want a cigarette, which isn’t really very often at all, I can’t possibly imagine ever being a smoker again. The fact that I could shovel out the driveway entrance without being seriously out of breath is amazing… that is strenuous activity afterall.

The house smells so much better, I have more energy, I’m happier, I have very little sinus congestion… I sleep better. Thus far I’ve not gained any weight, perhaps a pound or two, but the constant eating from week one went away. The constant use of hard candy can’t be all that good, but… I have been munching on apples and continue my drinking filtered water instead of sugared drinks, so I think I’m okay.

The only thing that has worsened as a result of no longer smoking would have to be my allergies. While the congestion is mostly gone and I can breathe quite clearly through my nose, any little bit of dust puts me into a sneezing fit. I suppose my body was so used to air that could be seen, heh, it can’t handle even the smallest bit of dust now.

I’ve also been a bit more ditzy than usual, as in… I have moments of confusion that normally wouldn’t be there, sort of like a haze or a pause in the ability to think at all. Matthew said he’s experiencing the same thing, he’s now at five weeks not smoking. I’m attributing this to not taking that ten to fifteen minute break to sit and smoke… instead of allowing the mind to slowdown it’s constantly in high gear, so it just goes “poof” when heavy thought is required. This could explain why sleeping is easier, I just get in bed and within a minute of shutting my eyes I’m out. I guess I’m overworking myself?

I fully understand why non-smokers get so agitated with smokers, it really does smell terrible.