Grumble Thread

[LMcD]

Well, I was instructed last week to re-connect my landline phone to the back of my router via the posted attachment (to receive which I was asked to stay in all day, btw ). I did so, and it worked (after a fashion). But when, thinking logically as I thought, I then disconnected my landline, it disonnected my internet connection. So I'm now left wondering what happens when landlines are themselves disconnected, as we have been warned they will be, at some stage.

I was lucky, in one way, it seems - the BT advisor with whom I was 'live chatting' (chatting live?) about a problem with my landline suggested I plug it into the back of my router, which immediately solved the problem, but I haven't dared disconnect my landline. Like you, I wonder what will happen when landlines are disconnected.

I continue to do my best to keep things simple as the years advance, but organizations like BT seem determined to complicate things further.

[Dave2002]

I continue to do my best to keep things simple as the years advance, but organizations like BT seem determined to complicate things further.

For most people, most of the time, the changes will not make a lot of difference - once things have settled down.

The big problem is going to be power outages - which are clearly a form of emergency. I don't know about other emergency service requests - police, ambulance, fire brigade - but presumably they could still be working even with VOIP - providing there is a working local power supply. However if the power goes down how would one request any help?

Also, even with fibre networks there are probably going to be some forms of repeaters or routers in the fibre connections. Those will probably also require power - though are the network providers intending to somehow make network units less reliant on the general power grid - or is the default going to be back to mobile phone wireless connections if there's a problem with the power grid or the fibre networks?

Phone and data connections will be bundled together - somehow multiplexed. How is that going to be done. Currently I assume that at least in our case, all the data - both phone and internet is sent to the local cabinet around 1-200 yards away, and then demultiplexed to feed to our house, with similar operations for each local house. If FTTH is installed, where is that separation of data from a bundle to feed to us [inwards] or aggregation of data going out, to be performed? Would it still be in a local - nearby - cabinet, or somewhere else?

Fibre networks can work with either electrical or optical switches. What kinds of switches are the providers going to use? Do we know?

[LMcD]

For most people, most of the time, the changes will not make a lot of difference - once things have settled down.

The big problem is going to be power outages - which are clearly a form of emergency. I don't know about other emergency service requests - police, ambulance, fire brigade - but presumably they could still be working even with VOIP - providing there is a working local power supply. However if the power goes down how would one request any help?

Also, even with fibre networks there are probably going to be some forms of repeaters or routers in the fibre connections. Those will probably also require power - though are the network providers intending to somehow make network units less reliant on the general power grid - or is the default going to be back to mobile phone wireless connections if there's a problem with the power grid or the fibre networks?

Phone and data connections will be bundled together - somehow multiplexed. How is that going to be done. Currently I assume that at least in our case, all the data - both phone and internet is sent to the local cabinet around 1-200 yards away, and then demultiplexed to feed to our house, with similar operations for each local house. If FTTH is installed, where is that separation of data from a bundle to feed to us [inwards] or aggregation of data going out, to be performed? Would it still be in a local - nearby - cabinet, or somewhere else?

Fibre networks can work with either electrical or optical switches. What kinds of switches are the providers going to use? Do we know?

To quote from the Johnny Nash song, there seem to be more questions than answers..
Will we be told in advance when demultiplexification operations will be carried out in our neighbourhood, as I rather think I'd like to watch?

[oddoneout]

"Good News" announced the email from OVO, "you'll pay less for your energy".
Two things rather take the shine off that announcement. Firstly, the price has come down due to the price cap, ie required to, not because the company thought it a good thing. Secondly, the standing charges have gone up, gas by 1.41p per day, electricity by 5.91p per day.
The gas price changes give a projected "saving" of £90 pa - but of course between now and the next price cap announcement the central heating will be off so that isn't all it seems. The electricity "saving" is £29, but the usage doesn't decrease in the same way, and that figure looks less impressive in view of the standing charges increasing by £21pa.
The figures don't make much sense to me anyway as the annual cost quoted includes a mix of old and new unit prices, the proportion presumably depending on the start and end date for the calculation.

[oddoneout]

The R3 ads are a constant irritation at the best of times but the one I've just been subjected to(yet again) comes just about top of the list for inducing the complete opposite effect supposedly intended. It's the "breathe in 2 3 4 ..." one. Not so much encouraging a calm moment as causing an uncomfortable mental(don't tell me to relax wretched woman) and physical(sudden movement to reach for remote) spasm and guaranteeing I want nothing whatsoever to do with whatever(don't know what as I press mute or if that isn't to hand "mindfully tune out") is being advertised.
"Elizabeth Alker sets up your Saturday morning" the schedule says. I realise it's my own fault as I don't much like the Saturday offering, but needed distraction when I got out of bed. Now though I need to switch the radio off and go and reset my morning by looking at the garden, and the sun trying to get through, and weighing up getting the shopping done before it gets too busy or cutting the grass before it rains...

[french frank]

Radio 3 is no longer the "UK's leading cultural broadcaster" (R Wright - NB not a lot of competition): it is now the BBC's Mind, Body & Spirit service. Disappointing if that is soooo much what one neither wants nor needs. Incidentally, does 'mind' include brain and intellect? I suspect not.

[Pulcinella]

Radio 3 is no longer the "UK's leading cultural broadcaster" (R Wright - NB not a lot of competition): it is now the BBC's Mind, Body & Spirit service. Disappointing if that is soooo much what one neither wants nor needs. Incidentally, does 'mind' include brain and intellect? I suspect not.

Wouldn't it be far too elitist if it did?
We seem to be the only ones that actually DO mind!!

[Serial_Apologist]

Radio 3 is no longer the "UK's leading cultural broadcaster" (R Wright - NB not a lot of competition): it is now the BBC's Mind, Body & Spirit service. Disappointing if that is soooo much what one neither wants nor needs. Incidentally, does 'mind' include brain and intellect? I suspect not.

Buddhism I understand teaches mind/body bifurcation to be an illusion born of dualistic thinking, in other words very much as Western philosophical non-conundrum. Science suggests mind and body unity, no separation. In fact there have always been problems defining precisely what mind is.

[cloughie]

To quote from the Johnny Nash song, there seem to be more questions than answers..
Will we be told in advance when demultiplexification operations will be carried out in our neighbourhood, as I rather think I'd like to watch?

…but to quote from another JN song do you see any clearer now (rain or no rain)?

[LMcD]

…but to quote from another JN song do you see any clearer now (rain or no rain)?

Tears On My Pillow (I Can't Take It).

[Ein Heldenleben]

The R3 ads are a constant irritation at the best of times but the one I've just been subjected to(yet again) comes just about top of the list for inducing the complete opposite effect supposedly intended. It's the "breathe in 2 3 4 ..." one. Not so much encouraging a calm moment as causing an uncomfortable mental(don't tell me to relax wretched woman) and physical(sudden movement to reach for remote) spasm and guaranteeing I want nothing whatsoever to do with whatever(don't know what as I press mute or if that isn't to hand "mindfully tune out") is being advertised.
"Elizabeth Alker sets up your Saturday morning" the schedule says. I realise it's my own fault as I don't much like the Saturday offering, but needed distraction when I got out of bed. Now though I need to switch the radio off and go and reset my morning by looking at the garden, and the sun trying to get through, and weighing up getting the shopping done before it gets too busy or cutting the grass before it rains...

That trail is so annoying . Apart from anything else it’s the breathy closely miked voice with the weird accent.
Thing is I think mindfulness exercises are very useful but not this one. Proper mindfulness exercises ( or mediation if you prefer ) avoid music because music sets in a chain a set of of physiological responses you are trying to avoid. It’s not about lowering heart rate or loosely defined “ stress” but a different way of framing the problems that you encounter every day in life so that they don’t “take over “ your thoughts.

[Serial_Apologist]

That trail is so annoying . Apart from anything else it’s the breathy closely miked voice with the weird accent.
Thing is I think mindfulness exercises are very useful but not this one. Proper mindfulness exercises ( or mediation if you prefer ) avoid music because music sets in a chain a set of of physiological responses you are trying to avoid. It’s not about lowering heart rate or loosely defined “ stress” but a different way of framing the problems that you encounter every day in life so that they don’t “take over “ your thoughts.

That would depend on what kind of music. If it were full of predicable gestures, thereby setting up and probably fulfilling listener expectations as to what was coming, that would do what you state - which is why I think music containing few predictable gestures is best suited for meditation purposes. Free improvisation can provide an excellent means of sustaining present-centred consciousness.

[LMcD]

If there were an Award For The Most Frequently Broadcast Chunk of Classical Music, it would surely go to the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th Symphony (which has just featured on Breakfast yet again), with the most likely runner-up the 2nd movement of Mozart's 21st Piano Concerto.

[smittims]

Hmm... I hadn't thought that. At one time it was Zadok the Priest , Gretchen am Spinnrade and the 'Rigoletto' paraphrase (LIszt) . Someone must have the statistics

[Serial_Apologist]

Gretchen am Spinnrade

Is she a DJ?