Subj : nuts was: logs and To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Fri Sep 20 2019 09:02:00 Hi Nancy! NB>> One more on 7 Sept, this one at about 9:30pm.... BM> Almost beddy-bye time! ...And that probably makes more sense when one BM> is reminded of the time zone difference and ETZ's 11 o'clock news is BM> CTZ's 10 o'clock news -- I'm an hour ahead. NB> And I tend to keep later hours anyway... Maybe a little less so NB> when at the Pond, since I'm not able to telnet from there, so NB> often do just go to bed instead... But at home, midnight is NB> pretty common.... We've been checking our eyelids for light leaks for some time! ...All depends on one's Circadian Rhythm, work/life schedule, etc. BM> That reminded me: my Mother doesn't "do" computers, so no e-mail, BM> etc., therefore it's print-and-send. Envelopes take postage, and the BM> Forever Stamps and nice/handy but after a while get a little boring so BM> I have been buying a small quantity of fixed-price stamps which have BM> various pictures, portraits, etc. Some are 'retro': George Washington, BM> Lincoln, etc. -- just looked and those are Forever Stamps. NB> Yup, they have the rolls of Forever stamps, and then they have NB> all sorts of commemorative Forever stamps too, now... They don't NB> have to print all those little make-up postage stamps that NB> way.... just the extra ounce/ oversize additionals... ;) Yes, handy to have the Forever Stamps: just slap it on and ship off. Anything potentially overweight/oversize I take to the Service Desk at Hy-Vee and have them slap a postage label on. ...The Post Offices around here are and aren't convenient; just easier to do at the grocery store where I already am. NB>>> I was mostly not driving my car, since I'd put over 300 miles on the NB>>> space-saver spare already, just getting myself first to my destination NB>>> (it happened about halfway there), a little necessary driving there, NB>>> and then back home (the Pond is 200 miles from home)... BM>> Those space-saver spares aren't designed for higher mileage but BM>> sometimes one doesn't have a choice and just hopes. NB>> This was definitely one of those times... no choice, and just hoping NB>> for the best... ;) At least the space saver is a Pirelli, and about NB>> the same height as the regular tires... it appears to still have a NB>> goodly amount of tread on it, so I guess it still has some life to NB>> it... I managed to get up to the Pond this time without incident, NB>> thankfully... BM> And hopefully back without issues! NB> That, too... ;) And, AIS, for this next trip (leaving Wednesday NB> to NC) I decided not to tempt fate, and am renting a vehicle... NB> over 1200 miles just for the round trip itself... and needing to NB> drive on both the Baltimore and the Washington Beltways... much NB> better safe than sorry, I figure... :) I agree! Renting the car may be a bit of an additional expense but you don't have to be concerned with being stranded some place. BM>>> One of the backburner projects is to get the spam call blocker utility BM>>> working; not sure how I can link it into the Caller IDs (integrated BM>>> into the phones and separate boxes). NB>>> That could indeed be a rather convoluted project... :) BM>> Yes, that's one of the holdups, other than moving the electrical. As BM>> for the NCID unit itself, that can be plugged in to the phone line BM>> anywhere; it's the getting the 'updated' data out I'm not sure of BM>> (changing the '563-123-4567' to display 'Michelle' on the other Caller BM>> ID devices). NB>> Sounds like it might end up being somewhat trial and error to get NB>> that working optimally.... :) BM> For the way I want to, yes. "Had time" to start playing with it BM> (again, since the repair to the line on the pole a block or so from BM> here) but decided to hold off: waiting for a new motherboard. etc., for BM> the Frontend to go in the TV Room in the basement -- original just not BM> worth upgrading. So decided to hold off starting/restarting projects. NB> Probably a good idea... :) That new Frontend (computer for the TV Room in the basement) is mostly built and right now waiting for a part. ...The computer will work fine with or without, just more convenient. Front panel USB ports. BM>> Right now 'back to the drawing board' with one of the Frontends (for BM>> MythTV -- the system for recoding and viewing television programmes). BM>> The computer I replaced the power supply and then updated the system BM>> isn't working right: locks up semi-randomly -- pausing can cause a BM>> lockup. Downstairs where its home will be had semi-frequent problems; BM>> testing up here and of course no problems! The obvious difference is BM>> downstairs using a TV but tested with one up here and no problems. At BM>> least not bored! NB>> Yeah, I guess that's the silver lining... ;) Keeps the brain NB>> working.... BM> That lock-up, etc., issues were resolved but not quite sure how. Well, BM> I replaced the video card for other reasons and that seemed to solve BM> the lockups, etc. I don't think the card bad/faulty, just the TV and BM> the card are not happy with each other. LIS the card played nice with BM> the test TV up here. NB> Some things just don't play nice together, and not always clear NB> why or why not... :) I swapped video cards and the problem is gone. :) The old video card will be used eventually elsewhere and probably not create a problem. BM>> I'm half-thinking setting it up in the basement at the Electronics BM>> Workbench (once clean that off!) as on the first floor there is no BM>> spot where a TV (use as monitor) is close to a telephone jack. At BM>> least get the spam blocking portion out of it. Update of the 'bad BM>> numbers' is done by local learning (679-999-1234 called and said they BM>> were Social Security) and/or by downloading a file from the FCC or some BM>> government agency -- guess the WiFi works into the basement, otherwise BM>> there is an Ethernet line available at the bench. NB>> Only problem I see with that is that nowadays many/most of the NB>> spam/scam numbers are spoofed (along with the names).... so the NB>> name/number might be a legitimate caller at some point, and the NB>> spam/scam will just keep using different names/numbers... it just NB>> keeps getting more complicated all the time.... BM> Yes: "known issue". The NCID software has the option to call the BM> FCC/whichever agency and download a list of spam telephone numbers - BM> updated daily or weekly, I've forgotten which. Though of course as BM> you indicated this is a reaction: the spammers get a new number forst, BM> do their thing, number gets reported, added to the list..... NB> It's getting so I'm not sure if the updates can keep up with the NB> bad numbers... They may have to hire another intern or two in Washington, then update the database twice a day.... Getting a new one that comes up "Directory, IA 563-555-1395". '555' is what thety used to use on TV and in movies for a fake telephone exchange -- spammer has a bit of humour?! BM> ...LIS in an earlier message, lately Summer again and I'm not going in BM> the Storage Area when it's 90ø out and well above that in there! Nor BM> am I going to put someone else in there. NB> But there should be some nice fall days still to come before NB> winter does set in.... Would be nice; see if Mother nature thinks the same. 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... BM>> Yes, agree. A rotary phone does just a good a job of being able to BM>> talk to someone as a Touchtone cordless. Rotary phone doesn't have BM>> memory dial, volume, Caller ID.... For some telephone locations one BM>> doesn't need the fancy stuff. (And no, my Mother doesn't have a rotary BM>> phone; was just an example.) NB>> There could be a problem with being able to interact with those NB>> computer generated calls that want you to press different numbers... NB>> the rotary isn't recognized by the system.... BM> I wonder if I can find my adapter? TouchTone pad which connected to BM> the phone line -- once past the 'section' where rotary was needed to BM> get to the TouchTone portion used it! NB> I take it you've used that successfully...? I do have one rotary NB> phone still in service (it has pushbuttons, but what you get when NB> you push them is the rotary "clicks")... it works fine for just NB> answering the phone and talking to a real person, but I can't NB> dial out on it any more, and it never did do the tones needed for NB> computerized call responses... My adapter worked; just had to get connected to a TouchTone line. (With an old-old telephone line initially connected to a rotary line where the information was make-and-break [switched].) You rotary phone will work fine in the same way. TouchTone system doesn't 'understand' the makes- and-breaks of the rotary phone ("why hanging up and picking up so quickly?!") but once the connection is established works fine for voice. Only problem (and you'd know by now) is a rotary phone could also have a ringer requiring a lot of current. Too much and various ringers won't work. BM>> ... I have a rotary cell phone. NB>> Yeah, right..... ;) BM> You haven't seen them on the Internet?! NB> Is it at all like the Jackalope....??? And you know how NB> seldom I'm looking at things on the internet... :) One can learn all sorts of things on the Internet! May not be right, but... ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... Definition: Skull - A place for learning --- 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) .