I love when people want to have an argument...

... and you end up finding some information online that defeats their side of the conversation. 

Which also may make you in the wrong, but proves what you're saying is a little more correct than what they're sticking behind.

This morning I was in the pool with my mother and one of her friends. As I had joined them late, I walked into the conversation about how our community is wired for Internet and the exact details Hotwire said to us when things got up and running. 

My mother had asked me what the technicians told me when they came and installed the Nokia router, Eero boxes and Fision cable set tops. How exactly are we covered with our Wi-Fi, in regard to fiber optic versus the old Comcast cabling?

I explained how, on the multiple times Hotwire was in our house, they said that they're piggy backing off of the Comcast coaxial cable. Hotwire is using fiber optic both inside and outside the house, but they are also utilizing pre-existing Comcast lines in other ways. Meaning, there are multiple sources coming in multiple directions and although Hotwire owns a good amount of them, not every single connection is solely theirs. Somehow there's a converter in place and I don't know the exact way it's all connected, but there are several things allowing us to be online, as well as how we watch television.

The friend stated that what I'm talking about is 100 per cent not true. That the information I have is jibberish; fake news if you will. She saw Hotwire dig through her yard and plant wires, to then connect one end of it all to the street and the end to her house. They totally disabled and took away Comcast everything; our community no longer has any investment in the previous company. What we have in our units are all Hotwire, all the time.

I said that she's not totally correct; Hotwire may have dug lines in her yard, but that was only to connect their wiring to some of the pre-existing stuff that Comcast was using and would leaving once their contract ended. We were told specifically from Hotwire that they connect their wiring to what was previously installed in the houses. They're not redoing everything as we know it; they're only adding a few things to the community, such as internal dwelling boxes and some new string lines. 

The friend still wanted to argue against this by saying I don't know what I'm talking about. She "saw with [her] own eyes, the digging and hooking up. The connecting of pieces of equipment". I had to explain that's true they dug but they didn't take up the old wiring. They left it because they needed it to add a booster of sorts to their own items.

Side note: I'm not completely technical with this so I don't have all the verbiage to explain what bill of sale Hotwire was showing, versus what Comcast was taking away while not being fully transparent. 

Back to conversation.

The friend really wanted to fight me. I ended up exclaiming "let's just end the conversation then. Agree to disagree because obviously, this is not going anywhere and I don't want to keep talking about it", to which the woman again disagreed, saying how wrong I am and I don't know anything. My mother jumped in to say it's true how they told us things, and the woman refused to concede. She wanted to be right and make sure we felt like fools. 

When my mother and I got home, she said that even another pool friend said there is no Comcast equipment in the community, it's all Hotwire. Which is why the conversation went on longer then it should have. 

It doesn't make sense, only because not every one in our community is using Hotwire; some are still using Comcast. The community got a "deal" on Hotwire when Comcast's contract was ending. A lot of residents wanted to keep Comcast, and they didn't want Hotwire in their house. We all had no choice; we had to have the new company in and do stuff, and those who wanted to keep the old ISP now have competing services in their home. I honestly don't know if Hotwire shut off their side of the communication, but if people are still using Comcast, somehow that's still a viable option. They're paying for both services and only with Hotwire is there a reduced rate due to it being part of our HOA dues.

Again, I am not that technical to understand the "how" to any and all of this. I know people have vocalized they're still using Comcast's equipment, still on their server. Hotwire is somehow shut off in the house. I can't explain it, but it's a small fraction of owners who have it. 

Even more so, when one of the last major storms rolled through (Helene? Milton? I don't remember which), we had power but no Internet. I had been up at the clubhouse after it ended (and was safe to be there) and a Comcast truck was driving the neighborhood. He stopped me and asked if the community was having any problems, and I said that "we have power, but no Internet. We use Hotwire and it's completely down". He said that that the main box wasn't getting power and was I sure the community had power? I said yes, we have electricity, just don't have internet. He had come out to check on a report by a user in the community, and found the power box not working, along with some other FPL boxes. He mentioned some were wet too, but it mainly was just not having juice to the source. Someone needed to contact FPL because it's a power issue, not a Comcast issue. Once power is restored, Comcast can come out and fix the internet. Since Hotwire is connected to the Comcast main hub, we technically still use Comcast as the backbone for getting online, even though we have Hotwire credentials.

I failed to explain that to my mom's friend as I had forgotten about it in the heat of the moment. I remembered it when we got home and by then it was too late; I wasn't about to call the woman and tell her this. 

However, what I did do, was research "does hotwire communications use pre existing cable lines as their wiring" and I not only found an interesting AI overview, I found a "frequently asked questions" sheet from another community. 

The Overview is as follows:

"Hotwire Communications generally installs their own dedicated fiber-optic lines for the main network backbone, but they may reuse pre-existing in-home coaxial cables inside a home or building solely to deliver basic television packages. [1, 2]

Inside the Home and Building Wiring

Television (Coax): Hotwire often utilizes existing in-home coaxial cable lines to distribute basic "Plug 'n Play" cable TV signals to secondary televisions without needing new set-top boxes. They test and optimize these existing lines during setup. [1]
Internet and Routers (Ethernet): For high-speed data, modems, and primary routers, Hotwire typically runs new CAT5E or CAT6 Ethernet cabling to ensure optimal performance rather than relying on old, degraded copper lines. [1, 2]

Outside and Community Infrastructure

Backbone Lines: Hotwire installs their own independent fiber-optic infrastructure underground or along designated utility routes to bring service to a neighborhood or multi-dwelling unit. They do not use another active provider's live external network lines for their primary data transmission"

I know this snipped (with its own citations) contradicts both my point and also any type of explanation, but the beginning states they "may reuse pre-existing in-home coaxial cables". For televisions, yes, but why then did the technicians make a big deal about getting things re-wired and telling us Comcast is still being used? This also doesn't go on to explain how everything Hotwire supplied is either hooked up into the Comcast used Greyfox Systems hub or it has its own line out device. The former is the coax system and the latter is the fiber system.

On another note, not every technician is telling the home owner that the Eero is not what it seems. I know I spoke about this in another post, but just to reiterate (because it's adjacent of a problem to this current one), the Eero is the modem and the Nokia is the router. Without the Eero, we wouldn't have Internet, according to the last technician I spoke with. Every person who has come to my house from Hotwire has said that Eero is a Wi-Fi extender and it acts as a booster. We do not need to install the Eero app on our phone and create an account; Hotwire has all the information they need if we install their own app. When we talked to the last in home person, they fervently needed the Eero verification or they could not set up my uncle's Internet. This person explained the Eero does all the work and if it wasn't for them, there would be no Hotwire to get us online. Which doesn't make sense from when we had how many people in our house from the company, explaining what is going on?? The sales department, community manager, half a dozen installers / technicians... no one made a peep about Eero other than it's a booster. The new guy was as if he went rogue and needed us to give him another key to the place. 

It's such a mud puddle, I can't seem to get out of it. 

What I have been able to do, was able to find a "Frequently Asked Questions" sheet from a community in Estero, about Hotwire and their connecting to other providers. 

Per a PDF from the Shadow Wood Community Association's website (links below for citing purposes):

"This section covers questions related to activities inside the home—your role, when you need to be at home, scheduling in-home appointments, bringing the fiber into a central distribution point within the home, “health check” of existing wiring, running of new wiring and the installation of any devices provided by Hotwire.

The following question was added on 10/19/17: 

1) Q: I would like to install a new cable TV outlet in my dinette for “plug in play” 70 channel service. Will Hotwire install new wiring and a cable TV outlet in difficult to reach area of my home? 

A: Hotwire will rewire (at no charge to the resident at the time of the initial installation) with new CAT5 cabling to any existing outlet location where a new FISION HD Box or modem/router will be located. Wiring to any new locations, or wiring after the initial installation of service will carry a $75 charge per outlet. Hotwire also offers a “wireless” FISION box (at the same cost as a wired box) which also adds flexibility for viewing locations. 

Please keep in mind: Where Comcast uses a small device called a DTA (Digital to Analog) converter, Hotwire’s technology allows them to deliver a similar service at no charge through a normal coax wall outlet without any such devices being required. This is called the “Expanded Basic Programming” and includes over 70 channels."

"4) Q: Will my home’s internal wiring need to be updated? 

A: Not necessarily: There will be a “home health check” where Hotwire (at their expense) will inspect and test the home’s existing wiring and replace and/or remove un-needed or defective splitters, amplifiers and connectors. The home’s inside wiring will be assessed and confirmed to allow residents to realize the quality delivered to the home via the fiber network. This existing wiring will be used to deliver programming to designated TV’s where a Set Top Box (STB) will not be installed (this is a “Expanded Basic” package referred to as “Plug ‘n Play” or “In The Clear”). For locations where your Hotwire supplied modem/router and STB’s will be located, Hotwire will run new CAT5E Ethernet wiring to deliver service to those devices. The technician will not leave the home until the service is working properly and signal levels have all been tested and confirmed to meet specified requirements."

"5) Q: Do I have to be home when they install my fiber and how long does it take? 

A: The installation will be three step process: 

1. Outside installation: The homeowner does not need to be present at this stage as all work is exterior to your home. 

2. Bringing the fiber into the home: Connecting the fiber from outside into the home and terminating at an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) which will usually be placed at the same location where Comcast, or other provider, has positioned the incoming terminal wiring. At this stage the homeowner, or a representative for the homeowner, needs to be present. This effort will normally require less than two hours to complete. 

3. In-unit installation: Connections from the ONT to TV’s, router, etc. again requires that the homeowner be present. This can take approximately 3-4 hours including resident training."

"4) Q: What is an ONT? 

A: An Optical Network Terminal, commonly referred to as an ONT, is a piece of equipment that converts the fiber-optic light signals to copper-based/electrical signals that can be utilized by Internet, video and telephone devices. 

4A) Q: Where will the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) be installed in my home?

A: Typically, the ONT is installed in a utility area (laundry room, garage, etc.) where the already existing communication distribution hardware is located. If a structured wiring (communications distribution) cabinet already exists, the ONT will be located there."

"7) Q: Will the existing coaxial cable network inside my home limit the quality of the TV service? 

A: Hotwire will use the existing coaxial cable solely for the delivery of a “Expanded Basic” package they refer to as “Plug ‘n Play” or “In The Clear” based on the fact that no box of any kind will be required to deliver the programming to most TVs that have been purchased in the last 8 years (traditionally flat screen TV’s). Hotwire will test all coaxial cabling and fittings (splitters, connectors, etc.) during the installation process to insure adequate transmission quality. Defective connectors and splitters will be replaced free of charge. Once all signal levels are optimized, the coaxial cable will not degrade your High Definition television service. 

8) Q: Will I have to rewire my home? 

A: That would be highly unlikely! In the event that a run of coaxial cable within your walls is determined to be inadequate, Hotwire will replace it free of charge. Hotwire will run new CAT5E Ethernet wiring to the locations where they are providing new equipment--i.e. modem/router and Set Top Boxes (STB). This will be done free of charge."

Again, this was culled from a form another community sent to its residents. I've cited the website below, and am using these as examples to show how Hotwire may be using another provider's services and creating a hybrid wiring service of their own. It also points to the central location of the previous provider's boxes and how Hotwire will reconfigure it all for everyone's use. This goes back to the original "things are connected to both the Grey Fox Systems", Comcast fusion and Hotwire planting. A three ring circus of wondering what belongs where.

My mother ended up sending those screen caps to her friend as a text, but the friend hasn't responded yet (as of this writing). I know the friend was going to be doing some stuff through out the day, so she probably hasn't seen the information yet. If she has, it probably set her in a mood because I am sure she doesn't want to be told she may be wrong.

I know the information doesn't prove me in the total right, but it also doesn't show I'm completely wrong either. There is such a mess of information online and in my head (based on what we were told and have been told), it's rough to get it all out and on paper. It also doesn't show the woman is providing a false narrative either. We both seem to be missing pivotal details and due to her not wanting to fact check everything, this is a win for no one. It's an additional piece of conversation to let her know that maybe she shouldn't be so head strong into wanting an argument with someone and have it be one sided, which is her side. A little more research needs to be done and possibly discussed in a civil manner, because frankly, it was getting heated. 

No, it wasn't because the humidity outside was making the water feel like a bath tub at 9 in the morning. It was the debate that went on for way too long. 

Accept the other person's opinion and be done with it. Plain and simple. 

Therefore, I am going to end it here because I'm circling too and making myself look bad. 

Until someone can say "I'm sorry, I would like to know more about what you have to say", take care of yourself, each other and try to play fair.

Cheers;

-- If I'm completely wrong, then somebody somewhere needs to have better training exercises for their employees because nothing is explained properly and everyone listens and processes things completely differently. I know there's a few other social network sites where users are asking similar questions and even then, there is a bit of a controversy over this --

See Also

• Shadow Wood Community Association
• Shadow Wood Community Association PDF download
• Eero; an Amazon product
  

The AI overview citation notes go to

• The link "[1]" to the Shadow Wood PDF as mentioned above
• Wellen Park (in Venice) website explanation "[2]"

It just takes one article..

 ... about hurricane season to get to the bottom of the page and read the comments. You start to think about things and end up doomscrolling yourself into a panic attack.

Seriously. All it takes is a few users to throw in some political jabs and how some areas of the south are cruising for one or two major incidents so that state gets wiped off the map completely.

You don't realize how susceptible you are and how "open to opinion" you may be, until you read what the bullies online are saying. Knowing in the back of your mind, they may have a point (to an extent), but you'll never admit to it because you want to be a better person and "rise above" it. See the better in the world.

Now that it's "officially" hurricane season, more articles are coming out about the predictions this season. With this week's random rain (we got a mess of it yesterday for a bit, and it currently looks like it is returning any moment), statements are mixing together and user comments are somewhat frightening. 

There are a ton of reports about preparation - buy this, not that; get your affairs in order; etcetera, etcetera. The weather in general is looking X and the shape of the population feeds into Y, making Z a probability. My head is going at a dizzying rate, trying to figure it all out and ignore the false statements.

However, some of the statements are regarding the suggestions about kits and things to purchase. They are items you can acquire online or in stores. 

Quite honestly, a lot of it can be used throughout the year in normal instances, especially if you're an outdoors type of person (batteries, radios, lamps). I know a few people who like to go camping in the summer and wouldn't think twice about buying hurricane prep items for their tent. The fan, the sprays, whatever. They aren't afraid to admit it's not for storm use, it's for sleeping out under the open sky use. 

After what happened last September and October with Helene and Miltion, more people (in the storm areas) are starting to wise up and triple check things. Considering a lot of places are still having major issues after being close to being destroyed or are actually destroyed. Fort Myers Beach is still cleaning up from Ian, and parts of the area from Charley in 2004. We live on sand and stone, worse than the rest of the country. 

They say "knowing is half the battle", but the other half is not seeing the battle. When the forecast calls for rain, you can see the clouds roll in and hear thunder (when possible). The droplets fall from the sky and soon enough, it's over. Same goes in snow territory. There's a type of overcast that happens and it the air gets cold. Once the ice crystals form and get on the ground, it is a matter of them accumulating more and you've got yourself snowmen and angels once it stops. But you can see it form and touch the ground. 

Hurricanes you can't necessarily "see". Yes, there's wind and rain and projectiles that aren't tied down properly, but the longer you look out an open window and see nothing happening, the more ominously silent it is. Lesson learned during Irma when we were at a friend's house and the friend didn't have shutters up. He had hurricane resistant doors and windows, so we literally sat and watched nature take its course while watching the news when the power was on. Sure, the glass was thick enough that two little doggies had no clue what was going on outside (and why they couldn't go out to do their business at certain points), but in reality, if we didn't know it was a bad storm and were watching the trees blowing hard in the wind (along with the water creeping up to the door),you'd not have known it was a category 4 to parts of Florida and then a 3 in other parts due to a second rotation. It did make landfall as a 5 in Cuba and the Leeward Islands.  

Irma flooded the main road, downed trees and took off roofs. All by huffing and puffing and sending in the rain. Power was lost and found. People had to fix things and figure out the next step. Which is done during every major storm. 

Hurricanes are different beasts than normal rain and what other parts of the country get with snow. I don't have experience with volcanos or earthquakes, so I don't know about the Pacific North West. I can only speak about my life in New England and in Florida. It's really no joke and things to mess with. Blizzards can kill you just as quickly as a hurricane because it's below freezing and pipes can burst due to the cold. Power is off and you've got no heat. Hyperthermia sets in quick if you aren't ready for it. But, how frequently does that happen? Yes, storms here aren't every day like snow can be, but the dangers are nothing to be compared to, in the sense that they are wildly different. I understand that. I just feel that in some cases, summer weather in the south can be more damaging than winter weather in the north. Especially if you're in an area that gets inundated with storm after storm (like the Florida Panhandle and New Orleans, Louisiana for example). More lives, property and money can be lost in one strong hurricane than what an entire season of snow can do for a region. It's devastating.

I'm circling so much here and I probably don't make much sense. Thanks for sticking with me on this and hearing me out. I just got into one of the fear mongering articles and had a moment of "not more of this... please....". There are so many things that come to mind and I hate posting political stuff, so I don't even want to say where I saw the article or how people were commenting. I'll leave it at "they always want to push people's limits and buttons and thing they're right. They believe we're better off losing some things so we can gain other things.. only to benefit the ones who support that cause". I'm being elusive for a reason with this. I don't want to be seen as one sided and not do what's right. It's about staying as neutral as possible and allowing everyone a fair chance, however, there are some things I disagree with on both sides of the coin. No one is better than the other and I know I've got my own problems to deal with. 

Like the fact it's going to start raining any minute and I haven't gone to the gym yet. I'm going to end it here and get ready before I end up swimming to the clubhouse.

Thanks for hearing me out and take care! 

Cheers;

See Also  (aka prep level stuff via Amazon)

* hurricane prep

* hurricane preparedness items

* hurricane preparedness kit

* hurricane preparedness items for home

* hurricane preparedness survival kit

* hurricane essentials

The lists go on and have a lot of similar items on whatever keywords you want.

At least you can prepare better for snow

It's that time of season again... another tropical storm is projected to send Southwest Florida some strong storm surge (flooding), rain and wind. 

Helene is at some point going to be upgraded from a Tropical Storm to a Hurricane and make her way into the Gulf and touch town in the Tampa area. Moving north to the Big Bend area and Panhandle before (as one map showed), landing as a post cyclone depression in (of all things) Indiana. 

But until that happens, we're on standby and look out because she's on a very similar flight pattern that Ian took on September 28, 2022. 

Which his two year birthday is in four days.

Not to mention Irma turned seven September 9 to 11 this year. Southwest Florida is stuck between a rock and a hard place right now because we're still trying to get back from 2022 even though parts of Fort Myers Beach was still rebuilding from Charly in 2004. Other parts of the state are trying to rebuild from the last 10 years of disastrous storms.  It's a vicious cycle. 

Right now it's fine even though earlier I put our shutters up as a precaution. If the weather people are correct and we don't get anything but water and wind, then the shutters were put up in haste. At least they're easy to move. But if we get anything past a category 1, we're also covered. These things have paid for themselves in the last seven years, as we purchased them once Irma went away. They saved us during Ian, and every once in a while my mother will close the lanai ones a bit, due to the lightning we get in the summer. 

Peace of mind and all that.

However, what's just as crazy, is I don't know about work. At this moment, everything is normal -  I'll get up tomorrow, do my thing, come home. We are not totally going to be affected until the middle of the night on Wednesday, until mid day Thursday. Whether that be just wind and rain or anything worse. 

My boss is under the impression we'll be fine. The radars he is tracking say it'll stay far from us and head straight north. A few people I have talked to at work are looking at different models and say otherwise. Again, if you put Ian's map next to Helene's, they're just slightly off, but Helene is in the same area as Ian was for us and look how that turned out.

That lies the problem. Hurricanes shift. Irma did that and Ian did that. Blizzards you can see when they start and stop. You can go out when it calms down and shovel. Move the fluff to have more rain down from the sky. It may be cold, but odds are, you're going back in to a warm house. Power goes out frequently for older places, but not all the time. During hurricanes, you never know exactly when it's coming and you can't see it. You can hear it, but only sights you have on it is when the water runs through your street. Power goes out and what do you do? You're stuck inside and if it's 90°, opening a window won't get a breeze during the height of the wind. You have to keep your shutters up. No light in your house in the middle of the day. You're in a closet. 

It's all a catch 22. At the end of it all, are we any better than we were before it started? I don't know.

 Was a lesson learned? Maybe - you know what you need to do for next time. 

Will there be a next time? More than likely.

Will it be soon? I don't know. 

I feel like at this moment, I'm running in a circle and not explaining everything going on. Since it's after 9pm and I've got work tomorrow, I should cut this soon. Currently we're under a Tropical Storm Warning. I'll update as I can and when I can. 

Hopefully this is all for naught and we get itty bitty baby puddles on the roads. Power stays on, no problems to businesses. Let it all be fine...

Is ignorance really bliss in these situations?

Cheers;

What's the deal with..

... doctors and co-pays?

Okay, we're gonna get a little off track for the new year here... but what else is new... when I get side tracked?

So what's the deal with doctors and co-pays?

More specifically, what's the deal with going to a wellness visit and ending up having to shell out money?

Okay, let me explain...

I was talking to some people at home and away, and they all say the same thing: Why, when you go to your doctor (any doctor) for a wellness visit (physical). it's free. Yet, if you bring up any problem(s), it becomes an actual doctor's visit and you have to pay for the appointment?

Break it down a little more...

You go for your yearly physical with your general practitioner (internist, whatever). It's the kind of appointment where they height and weight you. Already had you do blood work, so they're going to go over it with you. Perhaps tell you about medications for whatever is found in the work up or the fact you've got to do something with your weight. 

However...

The second you bring up something regarding medication or an ailment that's been bothering you, this freebie visit not turns in to a paid visit, as you're bringing up health challenges that is not normal to the visit you're in. 

I know someone who brought up a change in his (basic) allergy medication. He was at his physical and asked about using some over the counter meds as what he was being prescribed wasn't really working for him. He did some research on what seasonal allergy medications are more readily available, and wanted to know if that would conflict with any thing else he's taking. 

Well.. the doctor explained some things about the uses of the store bought meds versus what the guy is already taking, and wouldn't you know it, he walked out having to pay his co-pay. All because he raised questions about seasonal allergy medications. The doctor didn't bring it up, the guy did. Had he not asked, he wouldn't have been charged the visit.

I know someone else, who went to have their yearly, and brought up the fact they had some sporadic pain in an area. It wasn't every day, but it wasn't rare either. It came and went, and they don't know why. Doctor did another one over, asked pertinent questions, sent the person on their way out and the person paid their co-pay. I don't remember the answer to the pain questions, so I'm not going to go there. 

But... 

If you're going to go have a doctor's appointment and it's supposed to be a yearly exam where you go over anything or everything, why do you have to pay for it, if you end up asking questions relating to your health? The whole basis of the visit is a health visit. Why can't everything be (literally) put on the table and talked about, and still be covered? 

Yes, visits and conversations are coded differently for insurance purposes. I understand that. I got caught up into quite the few coding problems in the past decade. So trust me... I'm well familiar with insurance challenges. 

But still. Insurance is allowing you one free visit a year. And it has to be a year and a day later (or longer) to qualify for that visit. So if you're going to it and you want to bring something up, it shouldn't cost you extra because you spoke about a health issue. 

I mean hell, I had an appointment once, and all the doctor did, was talk about comic books. I'm not a fanboy and into all the sub genres or anything relating to comics. Sure, I know some of the characters, I've seen a movie or two, but I'm not fawning over any of it. I can barely keep up the conversation with one of my friends who will randomly start a Loki conversation with me (she lubs him). So when my doctor started a 40 minute trope of a monologue about X-Men and Batman and all MCU and DC characters, I'm like "this dude's gonna make me pay for this shit". Lo and behold, I had to pay my co-pay and we only talked for 2 minutes about my blood work. I was mad as hell. 

To top it off, that was the first and last time I saw him. I had recently changed doctors (because the one prior left the practice) and this guy accepted me. Every year since, for both wellness and otherwise visits, I've seen the nurse practitioners. I've yet to see him again. 

With all the health problems in our world today, among other worldly challenges, I ask again: What's the deal with going to the doctor for a wellness visit, mentioning a problem that's out of the spectrum of the visit, and you have to pay for it? Literally and figuratively? AND... the "wellness visit" you were there for... gets put back on record as not having it. As you're now having a doctor's visit, your wellness / physical goes back on the books for you to come back and do over. 

Help me figure that one out...

Stay healthy

Cherers;

I wonder what they're using...

If anyone has any idea, please let me know.

But..

I arbitrarily noticed how all the show hosts are "cheating" when they've been using a pair Bluetooth headphones ... because they're sounding so clear on camera.

They're using lapel mics in addition to their ear pods. 

Case in point:

This morning Live with Ryan and Kelly were on this morning and since I'm home this week, I noticed something peculiar. 

Both are wearing what seems to be Airpods.. but in my experience of using the lesser known models, people tell me it sounds like I'm talking with marbles in my mouth. 

Enter the lapel microphone clipped to Ryan and Kelly's shirts. 

So... they're somehow turning off the audio from the headphones and turning on the audio from the lapel microphone. Question is, what brand are they using, as it could be a range of products. 

I'm curious as to what "normal" people are doing... how is everyone connecting to streaming apps and having crystal clear audio while hearing the conversation? Is there a magic button or side app that is needed to make all these video conferences seem like it's so simple, I'm obviously too stupid to figure it out?

I don't use all the apps that most people use - I audio chat with Tay on Skype because he hates using video chat (he has a Samsung Galaxy 5 that relies solely on WiFi... he doesn't have a cellular plan). I end up using the wired headphones my fruit phone came with (... the iPhone 5 ... and now add the use of the dongle since the iPhone 11 doesn't have a headphone jack), because Tay complains that it's hard to hear with the JLabs. Yet other people have said they hear me just fine during regular phone calls. It must be something to do with the WiFi connection in Skype, since the program compresses the hell out of recorded video. I don't know exactly; I'm not that technical. As I don't FaceTime with people, I don't know how the headphones work with that. The last time I Skype video chatted someone, it was months ago... when the pandemic first started. Rach over in England was having some challenges she wanted to vocalize about. 

I tell people I don't use other services (Zoom, etc) because I have Hangouts, FaceTime and Skype... if people want to get a hold of me for video purposes, call me on those applications... I'm not installing anything else. Or, just call once in a while. Voice chat works too. 

I guess that is it for now... any ideas, leave a comment!

Cheers;

"But it's much too late for goodbyes"

Damn you, Tay... I got Julian Lennon in my head right now. Your 80's obsessions are going to kill me one of these days. *Harumph* ☹😞



Shh... don't tell anyone...


But I had a "go play" day at work last week.


I heard a rumor from Ground Control (oh no, don't say it's true but it is!) that you can use Bluetooth (wireless) headphones to listen to audio when you stream to a secondary source from your phone. Or at least via an iPhone.


Okay... let me back track a minute.


Since I got the JLab Audio JBuds headphones, I've been using them to listen to Podcasts on my iPhone 11. I've tried to make phone calls with them, and on Skype, my friend Tay said it sounds tinny. I tried changing the EQ the other day and he said it sounds better. Note to self: use the "balance" EQ for Skype calls. And make sure everyone is near their WiFi spray for better connectivity.

I had read somewhere that when you mirror your video to a second screen (like the TV or a projector), you don't have to use that source's speakers. You can use your phone speakers and if you have headphones (especially Bluetooth), you can use those.

It's all about screen mirroring and selecting the audio source.


Last week I went to watch Apple TV's new series Defending Jacob, which is based on the novel by William Landay. I figured no one would find me in the big event room, since it's closed off to people right now, due to the current pandemic. No events are scheduled, so I have the room to myself. Why not eat my lunch and watch TV "on a big screen"?

I hooked up my phone to the  Apple Lightning to Digital AV Adapter which gets connected with a 6 foot HDMI cable that gets plugged into the wall. Turn on the wall panel to bring down the screen and get the Hitachi projector warm, get my phone on to the Apple TV+ app, turn my headphones on, and start mirroring everything.

I've got a video somewhere on my hard drive that I'll have to upload later because I've got to go finish cleaning my bathroom - the chemicals have sat long enough.


Stay clean!


Cheers;

You take it on the run, baby. If that's the way you want it, baby.

Then I don't want you around

© Take It On The Run

REO Speedwagon

I think today was the first day in a long time where I didn't turn the dial on REO Speedwagon. I don't know what possessed me to keep the radio on when I heard the intro to the 1981 hit, but I chugged down the road and surprisingly found myself singing along. 

"Talk is cheap when the story is good"... yeah... so good that this is one of the songs that kept me writing the (unpublished and infamously talked about) sequel to my (not so talked about anymore) story from 12 years ago. Yes, it's been over a decade and there's only one major reference to the whole thing on this site right now, and I'm sorry I took all those other pages off. I was stupid and didn't even back any of it up. Things happen when you try to wash your hands of craziness. One momentary lapse of judgement causes a lifetime of regret. I'm truly sorry to those who know the story well enough to push me to finish it. You small group know who you are. I'm thankful for you. I want you to know you were right. 

Thinking everything over, it does seem like the whole Hi Infidelity album pushed me through some of the pages of the sequel, if I recall correctly... and now that I see the track listing of the album (like Keep on Loving You for example), my first thought is "What a theme to pass through tough times!". I remember some Whitesnake making its way into the first round. Guess I partied like an 80s rockstar, writing some radio history, huh? I didn't know where I was going with the whole thing... just looking for an answer, yanno? I don't know if I can ever go back to any of it. Finishing the story, I mean. It took a lot of time and energy. Some dark road that I probably shouldn't go back down until I'm in a different place. Time will tell and wounds will heal. Maybe some new stuff will allow me to take my notes out, retrace my thoughts, and fill some pages with new memories of a somewhat interestingly happy (in a sordidly twisted way) past time.

Until that happens, be groovy to one another and behave.

Cheers;

See also (aka "What the funk is this?! 😲)

Messin' Around Pitbull with Enrique Iglesias

New camera, big price

I was at a box store yesterday and happened to walk through their electronics section. I spent about 10 minutes looking at the new cameras and marveling at the updates. I guess for what it's worth, the store selling one of the cameras for close to $800 isn't so bad, given the fact it's WiFi enabled now (the Canon T6 line).

Yes, I looked at the new Canons and thought about upgrading. The basic stock model (Canon EOS Rebel T6 Digital SLR Camera Kit with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens) is currently listed on Amazon for $449, which is the same price the box store had it for.

It appears Canon finally jumped on the wireless internet bandwagon, as this new line of Rebels comes WiFi enabled. I reckon there's "an app for that" where you can easily (and magically) transfer your photos to your smartphone.

The new thing is the accessibility of immediately posting to social network sites. Outside of the this added feature of instant sharing (which I've seen with a Sony point and shoot camera several years ago), the camera is the same size and heft as the T3 I'm using. The turn dial for various shooting modes is a little different (a tad reminiscent of 35mm camera dial) and the buttons / menu all seem to be the same. The LCD screen is stationary on this camera (like the Rebels before it). The sides of the camera still have plug in options for HDMI, a remote and microphone, but I feel the only "major" upgrade would be the WiFi connectivity.  The downside is that WiFi has been around in other cameras and camera cards for roughly 5 years. Another upgrade I noticed, was better options for video mode; it seemed to have some blinking options you could scroll through in order to film in the right light. I don't remember exactly what it said, based on the fact I didn't get to fully play with the camera. It was tethered to the counter and had no memory card in it. I can't really give a more in depth / side by side comparison to what I already own, unfortunately. No, I'm not buying it just to compare; that's a waste. But I will gladly take donations 😉

The same goes with the Canon EOS Rebel T6i Digital SLR with EF-S 18-55mm IS STM Lens - Wi-Fi Enabled. For $749 on Amazon, it's about $50 less than what I saw in the box store. It has similar comparisons like the T6, but the LCD screen can swing out and move around (for selfie mode, I'm thinking). The camera card slot is located on one side of the camera, while the microphone, HDMI, remote and the new "A/V Out" options are on the other side and have their own sections. Like the turn dial on the 6, this one really looks like a 35mm dial. Very basic in concept, for what you're doing, but the added WiFi option makes the camera worth it? According to the spec sheet (online), there is face detection and live tracking, which I can only imagine is for group photos and video mode. However, if there is face detection, because you can easily import the photo to social networking, it makes tagging people easier, if I can make an uneducatedly educated guess. Again, because this camera was tethered to the counter, I couldn't take it around the store and try it out.

I think for both cameras, the price point is fair, as the T6 is still the new kid on the block (research says there is a T7i that has been on the market for roughly 4 months, but several box stores I've been in, don't seem to have it yet. I don't know how trustworthy this Amazon link is, because it's still piping fresh). All things considered, I think I would make the jump to the 6 if I could, but honestly, my T3 is still working great; it doesn't pay to spend the $450 for the newer model when I'm happy in the place I'm in. Should something happen to this camera and I need a new one immediately, I'll have no issues in continuing to claim my stake in the Canon world by getting whatever is current. Until then, I'll continue playing around with what I've got.

Yes, I'm a Canon fangirl.

See you on the flip side...


Cheers;




See Also (aka kits and other things):

First political post of the season!

I would really like it to be my last, as well; but sometimes jumping the gun can lead to some apology emails (my cookiegate friends know what I'm talking about).

Lately, I've been not-so-involved in the whole politics of the world debate, which a lot of people are up in arms and into these days. Since I haven't been hanging around a certain conspiracy theorist (Hi, Dante), I've pretty much stopped taking in anything relating to the American government, as well as anything relating to the world government. Bad on me, I know, but I do have some knowledge of what's going on, even though I prefer to stay away from it all. I don't voice any opinions on / about anyone, but I hear what friends and family are saying. I don't necessarily agree to all of it, but I also don't appreciate the negativity about what's going on. I still have my opinions on situations and part of me still grasps on to some conspiracies, but primarily (and essentially), I've stopped caring. People I know have been verbally assaulting each other on where they stand in the spectrum of truths and the finger pointing is a little childish. Yes, the fecal matter is starting to hit the rotating blades and the room will not smell so much like roses soon, but we're going on a different path in our economics. Some people are for one thing, some are against, others are still trying to make up their minds.

All in all, they say "history repeats itself", right? To me, it seems like we're getting to that point again... and it's scary.

I was at the gym yesterday (not a known gym... just the gym in my complex), and some wonderful gym rat had left the TVs on, full blast, with Fox News airing its wares. I know it was someone in the morning crew, and I have a feeling I know who it was, as a group of elliptical riders love focusing on the right wing vomit that comes out of this particular station (since when is Kennedy on this channel? I remember when she was an Mtv VJ [wow, I aged myself]). Mid morning crew watches CNN... a station that, if anything, I would prefer to watch over the opposing right. However, since I haven't been following any opinion on the news outlets,there was something being talked about at the time I was in the gym and it caught my attention (sorry the image is slightly fuzzy.. I was on the treadmill and had to zoom in to the TV).

"POLL: 70% SAY THE 2016 RACE HAS BROUGHT OUT THE WORST IN PEOPLE"
- FOX NEWS September 30, 2016
(Don't mind that creeper)

According to whatever poll Faux News ran, they concluded that "70%" of the people they polled believe "the 2016 race has brought out the worst in people". This, my friends, is something for you to screen cap, as I'm going to admit that it's one thing I have to agree with.

Yes, without even knowing what was being talked about or the frame of reference (I had my headphones on, blaring KoRn Follow The Leader) (I seriously miss that shirt), I saw that blurb and had to take a picture of it. From the experiences I've had with the circles I have, they are all of mixed views, and like I stated, have been fighting with each other, when they normally are a little more peaceful.

There has been a definite shift in attitudes since a certain businessman decided to join the DC circus. The bottom of the pot stirring that this candidate likes to do, in all their negativity, has magically made followers join in the hatred. The people I know who love him, have the same closed mindedness as he does now, and it's a shame because he's going to throw this country down a rabbit hole that nobody has seen in decades. However, that's not to say that the other side is a saint; it's just that her followers seem to be a little more lenient in some cases.

I truthfully can't delve in to a lot of issues here, as I don't have all the answers and don't want to sway people's opinions (nor do I want any trash flinging on my site). I feel that all the negativity currently going on in this world is sad, as there are far worse things to focus on, than to bad name someone in order to make yourself look good, or lie about technology. Everyone has a hidden agenda, and that can of worms will be open before we can blink our eyes.


Take care of yourselves... "The Truth Is Out There"...


Cheers;






See also (aka "it's been a mash of alt rock on my MP3 player, lately. It helps drown out the news stations, yuppie mommies and gym rats who clunk the weights on the floor"):














I found the following images in a Google search, and feel there may be some validity to them:

"At the center of it all..."

... at the center of it all...

Second day in a row, and I've got another post. I haven't done repeat (thought induced) postings in a while. It's a good thing... no?

The music world is still clinging to the shrouded loss of an icon, and the fans seem to be in a clouded daze as well. I was just on TW, checking the threads. Seems like a couple people logged back in to say their farewells to the artist we all have come to enjoy and love. The users are crawling back in, and the answers are coming out the same - "I can't believe I remembered my credentials"..."It takes something this big"... Others are still in shock.

Let's face it - David Robert Jones has been talking about his death for nearly fifty years. Someone brought a similar thought up on the fan site, and coincidentally, I happened to have thought about it this morning, on my way to work, whilst listening to ★. ..A mere hours before logging back into anything on the interwebz.

If you trace back to some of the earlier work, out takes, in takes, covers, whatever is publicized... there have been little glimpses of where the music was headed and how it had shown it's gnarly face.

Just off the top of my head, for example, there's one song is the type of "rare" (so they say) / "never officially released on an album"(so they say) songs (Tired Of My Life) that transitioned itself into another completely separate song (It's No Game). We're talking somewhere in the late 1960s or 1970s for the first song, and 1980 for the latter (because it's on the Scary Monsters album.. same record that asked if we "remember a guy, in such an early song"  by the name of Major Tom [Ashes to Ashes]). A cover would be 1972's "My Death", a loosely translated Jacques Brel song.

Even the personas aren't exempt from death. Ziggy Stardust - the first incarnation of a new life (post hippy Dave of 1960), was "killed" off at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1973. The crowd went nuts, as that was the "last show" the alien and his Spiders From Mars would "ever do". It brought a doppelganger of sorts - Aladdin Sane. To which it wasn't long before the aristocratic Thin White Duke arrived hailing Nazi Germany (allegedly) and Nietzscheisms. A small string of other alter egos and more questions about life and death in the subconscious context, everyone just merrily sang along with the man who had warned his listeners about the last of the corpses rotting in the thoroughfare (Future Legend) and that Everyone Says 'Hi', he knew that one day, we all could be "Heroes".

Listening to Blackstar today, even as I write this post, I have way too many questions that will never be answered. I think some of the queries are best left to the imagination, and some should be asked. But knowing the right kind of person, is hard, as no one has the right response. It's like the constant "why" from a child to its parents. The parents don't have a clue what to tell the tot on occasion; instead, they get upset at the probing and the cherub quite possibly acquaints vocalizing thoughts as something you just don't do. Are my internal ramblings on that level? I would hope not. Should anyone's? Again, I would hope not.

Although my first thought of the album, with headphones in, is you can really hear something wrong with db. As much as "it pains me" to give a harsh criticism so early in the game, but there are sections in the beginning and end of a couple of the songs, where you can hear a wheezy breathing... something that no other song I've heard, has. A true sign Mr. B may have been ill. No one listened for his rasps and edited it out. Paul's not dead, he's just breathing. I do have to ask, however, why is Gail Ann Dorsey and the rest of the typical Scooby Gang not on this album (I'm looking at you, Earl Slick, as well)? The digital download of the album has the booklet attached, and I was reading (scanning) it for the lyrics and some pictures, and the last couple pages have the musicians listed. Not one name I knew, besides Bowie and Visconti (producer). It's a little let down, that the gang we all came to recognize from the past 35 years, wasn't given a thought to come back and play. Was this intentional? I always found it funny when Gail Ann (bassist) warbled along with Bowie. It was cute! Where was Sterling Campbell on drums, (the aforementioned) Earl Slick on guitar, "Spooky Ghost" Gerry Leonard on guitar, and Mike Garson on keyboard? Were they not as relevant for this album?

Too many questions, and unfortunately company just walked in.

More to come...


Cheers;



Where the fuck did Monday go?