Subj : nuts was: logs and To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Sat Aug 31 2019 08:45:00 Hi Nancy! NB>>> Replying from Selkirk Shores SP, 18 July, 2:20pm... BM>> Hmm -- maybe you created something new: an e-mail postcard! NB>> Somewhat... I guess it does give an idea where I've been off NB>> traveling to... as I answered from the different places... ;) BM> I always figured someone hs to come up with those new things! NB> No pictures, though... it's the old-fashioned penny postal, I NB> suppose.... ;) Just words... ;) How retro! :) NB>>> Eventually, we'll both catch up... BM>> Eventually! I think I had close to 30 personal messages with this BM>> packet and 250+ total messages. As always started with personal BM>> messages and about halfway through those. "Good news" of sorts in BM>> this morning's mail run was an empty packet so not further behind. NB>> Well, by then, I was away again... spent the better part of that week NB>> back up at the Pond... got home on Friday (16th), with a flat tire to NB>> deal with (driving on the space-saver)... still waiting for the NB>> replacement tire to come in, it had to be special ordered... BM> Know that one! Years ago had some idiot at the Mall slashing tires. BM> No real reason, just did. Various stores, so no real target. Anyway, BM> my car takes smaller tires, so one of the jokes when I bought the car BM> was replacement tires would be $25 each, Nope: small diameter but BM> wide, so a special tire, not a stock item (order and in next BM> afternoon), so they put my space-saver spare on. Tire was over $100, BM> and that's with my discount. NB> At least my tire was under $100, but that was with a small NB> deduction because of the road hazard warranty... too many miles NB> on the tire to get much of a deduction... The tire FINALLY came NB> in and was put on my car on Wednesday... I was mostly not driving NB> my car, since I'd put over 300 miles on the space-saver spare NB> already, just getting myself first to my destination (it happened NB> about halfway there), a little necessary driving there, and then NB> back home (the Pond is 200 miles from home)... Those space-saver spares aren't designed for higher mileage but sometimes one doesn't have a choice and just hopes. NB> Worst part of it was that when the tire finally came in, they'd NB> sent an 18", not the 17" that was ordered and needed.... The NB> manager caught it right away, and the supplier got the NB> replacement into his hands at 9am the next morning... Glad the error was caught before you were called in for the installation. NB>>> The two cordless phones we have now came as a set... previous ones NB>>> had been one-offs but they all died before replacement... I could NB>>> see getting another set to add in, and get a different directory NB>>> set up as well, but that could get confusing... I think there would NB>>> probably have to be some overlap, for Richard's sake (eg, my cell NB>>> phone coded to my name so he knows it's me and not some random NB>>> wireless caller)... BM>> Yes, we've more or less memorized the how the display comes BM>> up when friends call with their cell phones but have been tricked when BM>> a spoofed number comes up that is similar. NB>> If I have the number with the right name in the phone's directory, NB>> that's how the caller ID will display, overriding the unhelpful or NB>> downright misleading ones, like Wireless Caller or some strange name NB>> (like Deanann Hall for my friend Joann, or Paul Chamberlin for my NB>> friend Tika)... The other caller IDs in the house show the bad NB>> display, the cordless set show the useful ID... :) BM> Which is nicer and more informative. One of the backburner projects BM> is to get the spam call blocker utility working; not sure how I can BM> link it into the Caller IDs (integrated into the phones and separate BM> boxes). NB> That could indeed be a rather convoluted project... :) Yes, that's one of the holdups, other than moving the electrical. As for the NCID unit itself, that can be plugged in to the phone line anywhere; it's the getting the 'updated' data out I'm not sure of (changing the '563-123-4567' to display 'Michelle' on the other Caller ID devices). Right now 'back to the drawing board' with one of the Frontends (for MythTV -- the system for recoding and viewing television programmes). The computer I replaced the power supply and then updated then system isn't working right: locks up semi-randomly -- pausing can cause a lockup. Downstairs where its home will be had semi-frequent problems; testing up here and of course no problems! The obvious difference is downstairs using a TV but tested with one up here and no problems. At least not bored! BM>> Some time ago I looked up BM>> to see if could do something with the cell phone to make the correct BM>> CID display -- nope: something to do with the cell company owns the BM>> number and that's why it displays as it does. Big Black Box BM>> explanation which I somewhat understood but boils down to "can't be BM>> done". (I'm thinking it can be done, just a lot of work. Too bad.) NB>> Only thing I know to do is to have the local directory override NB>> what the phone company is sending... As for the company sending NB>> the proper identification, I'm sure that it would be possible, NB>> but I'd not doubt that it could be just involved enough that NB>> they'd not want to bother dealing with it... BM> More or less the same thoughts here. I can put all the house phones BM> after the spam call blocker, but IIRC it's not designed that way: more BM> as a device to connect in to the phone network as-is (all phones plug BM> in to the telephone system) and when a spam number is detected it BM> "picks up the phone and hangs up". NB> It'll be interesting if you do ever get it working with your NB> system the way it is... :) I'm half-thinking setting it up in the basement at the Electronics Workbench (once clean that off!) as on the first floor there is no spot where a TV (use as monitor) is close to a telephone jack. At least get the spam blocking portion out of it. Update of the 'bad numbers' is done by local learning (679-999-1234 called and said they were Social Security) and/or by downloading a file from the FCC or some government agency -- guess the WiFi works into the basement, otherwise there is an Ethernet line available at the bench. BM>>>> Yes; the NCID project was mainly held up because the telephone or BM>>>> power line needed to be moved (probably power because there's antenna BM>>>> and networking feeds in the same run), but that delayed because of the BM>>>> coldness in the Storage Area, then the other hiring of a electrician BM>>>> to do a few other projects was never gotten to..... NB>>>> Now it will be the heat of the Storage Area... and getting to NB>>>> hiring of the electrician.... BM>>> Yes. This year is just zipping by! NB>>> Isn't it though...!!! BM>> Did and didn't help that and a few other projects with me being gone a BM>> month. Telephone/electrical probably wouldn't have been done because BM>> of the heat. If I'm not going to work in the Storage Area because it's BM>> probably over 120ø in there I'm not sending someone else in there BM>> unless it's an emergency and then I'm providing fans to ventilate and BM>> monitoring for heat stroke, etc. (Years ago I had installed lights.) NB>> Yeah... being gone does put a crimp in doing things at home... but NB>> as you say, probably the weather/temps would have kept that one still NB>> on hold anyway.... Now that fall is coming, maybe things will line NB>> up to do that project... :) BM> And then the other temperature extreme will be the excuse! NB> Not if you get going on it, and can get the electrician in before NB> the winter sets in... ;) There's always Indian Summer! Oh: _winter_! Umm, there's always next Spring! NB>>>> I'm sure that it would require some ahead of time discussion with NB>>>> her as to why and how it could make her life easier... one doesn't NB>>>> have to answer the precise phone handset that is telling her who is NB>>>> is calling, if she decides she wants to talk to them.... BM>>> Correct. First would be to instill the need. The inital problem is BM>>> 'works fine' and 'I don't need that', though sometimes after months BM>>> the 'don't need' slowly turns into a 'well, it would be handy BM>>> sometimes'. NB>>> There's another project for you... instilling the need.... BM>> I've noticed on the phone and during the visit my Mother doesn't want BM>> to be bothered: more or less if it works leave it alone, even though BM>> advised and sometimes agress an upgrade would be better/more BM>> convenient. Suppose part of that is 'old age complacency'. ...Well, BM>> had misspelled that and the definition came up and not what I'm BM>> intending, or at least with that definition. More the "leave it alone, BM>> it works, so good enough". I'll admit to some of that too, but not to BM>> her degree. Or at least my interpretation of her degree. NB>> Being satisfied with the status quo, even if it isn't necessarily NB>> the most efficient etc... ;) Yup, I'm getting there, too... some NB>> things just don't need to be changed just because someone else NB>> thinks they have a better solution... ;) BM> Agree. I don't need or even want the lastest-and-greatest, I just BM> want what I need and also try to figure out what I might need for the BM> future. NB> The real trick is to be able to distinguish what might actually NB> be helpful from the "oh, look a NEW way to do things" sort of NB> thing... Yes, agree. A rotary phone does just a good a job of being able to talk to someone as a Touchtone cordless. Rotary phone doesn't have memory dial, volume, Caller ID.... For some telephone locations one doesn't need the fancy stuff. (And no, my Mother doesn't have a rotary phone; was just an example.) ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... I have a rotary cell phone. --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.47 þ wcECHO 4.2 ÷ ILink: The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .