Subj : nuts was: logs and To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Wed Sep 25 2019 08:57:00 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 when NB>> at the Pond, since I'm not able to telnet from there, so often do NB>> just go to bed instead... But at home, midnight is pretty common.... BM> We've been checking our eyelids for light leaks for some time! ...All BM> depends on one's Circadian Rhythm, work/life schedule, etc. NB> And when the others in the household are going to bed... ;) NB> Richard is usually up until at least 2am... Groggy yawn!! Of course all depends on what one is used to. 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 all NB>> sorts of commemorative Forever stamps too, now... They don't have to NB>> print all those little make-up postage stamps that way.... just the NB>> extra ounce/oversize additionals... ;) BM> Yes, handy to have the Forever Stamps: just slap it on and ship off. BM> Anything potentially overweight/oversize I take to the Service Desk at BM> Hy-Vee and have them slap a postage label on. ...The Post Offices BM> around here are and aren't convenient; just easier to do at the BM> grocery store where I already am. NB> I don't think that our Wegmans has quite that service, the stamps NB> yes, but one still has to go to the PO to mail the package... I NB> tend to have enough reason to be near the main post office NB> locally to do most of my business there, either dropping mail NB> into the boxes outside, or going in for extra postage or the NB> like... Saves at least a day on the transit time that way, too, NB> since all mail goes out from there... True: there is probably a day's delay when I mail at Hy-Vee but the convenience outweighs the transit time. For me the location of the post offices isn't that convenient -- not inconvenient, just way out of my usual travels. 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... :) BM> I agree! Renting the car may be a bit of an additional expense but BM> you don't have to be concerned with being stranded some place. NB> Exactly... and since I made the reservation through AAA, I got a NB> pretty good deal on the rental, too.... And I'm guessing it would NB> be a lot less expensive than having to deal with car repairs on NB> the road... ;) I'm quite sure! And thinking of when I had to have a new wiring harness because the socket for one of the tailights was corroded -- took two or three days just to get that. 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... :) BM> That new Frontend (computer for the TV Room in the basement) is mostly BM> built and right now waiting for a part. ...The computer will work BM> fine with or without, just more convenient. Front panel USB ports. NB> So that you won't have to pull the computer out to plug things in NB> or take than out.... :) Right. Could also just plug in an extension cable in the back and have it dangling. BM>>> At 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 why NB>> or why not... :) BM> I swapped video cards and the problem is gone. :) The old video card BM> will be used eventually elsewhere and probably not create a problem. NB> Just keep trying it places, as projects continue, to see if it'll NB> work there...? More or less. I know the card will work fine with other televisions: worked fine up here on the test TV. I do have a vague Black Box sort of idea why it didn't work downstairs -- had the problem before and I found a solution, of course couldn't find those notes! Swapping out the video card was easier, plus I installed one with more video memory which took care of an occasional video jitter/jutter issue. BM> 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... BM> They may have to hire another intern or two in Washington, BM> then update the database twice a day.... Getting a new one that comes BM> up "Directory, IA 563-555-1395". '555' is what thety used to use on BM> TV and in movies for a fake telephone exchange -- spammer has a bit of BM> humour?! NB> Possibly... Lately some calls which used to come up with a NB> proper name (both charities), have been showing up with the same NB> number as before, but with Not Assigned as the name... They let NB> it ring 4 times, then hang up... we just wait for the ring to NB> quit, now.... We got one identified as "Bankers Life" with a local number the other day. Let that one ring out the three or four rings. 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 you NB>> push them is the rotary "clicks")... it works fine for just answering NB>> the phone and talking to a real person, but I can't dial out on it NB>> any more, and it never did do the tones needed for computerized call NB>> responses... BM> My adapter worked; just had to get connected to a TouchTone line. BM> (With an old-old telephone line initially connected to a rotary line BM> where the information was make-and-break [switched].) Your rotary phone BM> will work fine in the same way. TouchTone system doesn't 'understand' BM> the makes-and-breaks of the rotary phone ("why hanging up and picking BM> up so quickly?!") but once the connection is established works fine for BM> voice. Only problem (and you'd know by now) is a rotary phone could BM> also have a ringer requiring a lot of current. Too much and various BM> ringers won't work. NB> The fix back then, was to turn off some of the ringers, so that NB> they wouldn't draw.... Dunno if your adapter would work for my NB> phone anyway, though, it's a pretty simple corded phone, all in NB> the handset... I think it wired in to the wall jack as I don't recall a headset nor acoustic connection. ...I have an all-in-one type of phone in the basement next where the phone line comes in ==> resonably compact as stored 'in the wall' but not connected; is used as an emergency phone should something happen to the wiring in the house: unplug the house from the outside, wait a minute for the Central Office to reset the line, plug in the emergency phone. Original intent was an easy way to disconnect all the house phones, answering machine, and later Caller IDs should there be a line issue. ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... 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