Member postings for Peter Greene

I grew up in London - came to Canada in 1968 when I was 25 - so I was fairly familiar with the underground (which was often generally referred to as "The Tube" but strictly that applies to the Central Line only). The Victoria line passed near where I lived and was still under construction when I left. I was pretty fascinated by it all and have lots of books which I still (re)read from time to time. The tunnelling information is interesting.

I saw a few episodes of the subject program. The program itself was interesting enough, when I could get the episodes over here (my wife got bored though!) but I couldn't stand the male presenter and gave up.

In fact a lot of things (derelict stations, unused branches etc) are visible to the passengers if they take the trouble to shield their eyes and actually look through the windows. One of the books I have tells where a lot of this stuff is.

London Transport (at the time) used to do occasional tours through the underground at 2 or 3 am using open cars and a commentary. Don't suppose that happens any more though - doubt they'd get enough interest from the current generation (besides which, their phones probably wouldn't work!).

But do you want holes?

(I always imagine that whoever came up with this acid-wash holey jeans thing is sitting somewhere laughing his head off).

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 23/07/2022 23:05:48

If you're describing what I think you are, these are photos and, more particularly, videos taken by moron phone users ("it's easier to hold the phone that way"  ) in vertical orientation. Videos particularly are uncomfortable for the viewer in that orientation so many sources add blurry bits either side to make in look "more horizontal". It doesn't, of course.

Vertical orientation, as with any camera, may work for stills as long as the scene suits that orientation (most don't) and blurry bits at the side are not really called for then.

Banning moron phone users might be a better way.

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 23/07/2022 17:10:30

Absolutely! It's getting worse and worse here.

I stood behind someone in a supermarket checkout a few weeks ago for 5 minutes (I timed it) while she fiddled on her phone trying to come up with - not her method of payment - but her store loyalty card number which was phone-based. She flicked the screen backwards and forwards, backward and forwards completely inured to the mutterings of me and others and the glare of the checkout clerk.

Finally she did find it then paid (with her phone) in a few seconds (only a little longer than it took me to tap my debit card when it was my turn).

Thankfully we don't have air-miles any more.

Steady on old chap!

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 22/07/2022 01:33:01

You can't get a decent (i.e. charbroiled) hamburger around here any more since the fear mongers dictated charbroiling is bad for you. They may well be right if you dine out on hamburgers multiple days per week.

For my 3 hamburgers a year, I'd take my chances .... if I could.

No problem, Michael the link was interesting. I too await enlightenment.

It isn't really a problem for me personally - just a nuisance - but my wife has.... ahem .... memory problems and also cannot not-answer a ringing phone. I do worry that she'll press a button if told to.

I might give my phone-service carrier a call and see if they can shed any light (a sub tier carrier and more approachable - not to mention more knowledgeable - than the major phone company, Bell Canada).

But still, the humidity makes all the difference. I used to visit LA years ago (70's & 80's) and 100F wasn't uncommon in the Summer - but the humidity was so low it was quite comfortable.

As the saying goes around here "in ain't the heat, it's the humidity".

(Besides which, a high Humidex value sounds so much more impressive )

... and an even more special kind to deny that the underlying cause is over-population, fail to address that and sentence everyone to a Spartan existence instead.

My first hearing aid used a 312 silver-zinc rechargeable which had a tolerably good life between charges. I could get a normal day out of it then charge it (in-situ). Then the (only) manufacturer of the batteries ceased business. I really didn't want the cost and inconvenience of single-use batteries when the existing one stopped working.

The audiologist then gave me a "really good deal" (yeah, right) on a replacement using a built-in Li-ion rechargeable which again lasts all day and recharges in 1 -2 hrs. It's actually pretty good and I can adjust it on the fly using a bluetooth app (quite handy for actually hearing the turn signals in an Altima).

The router assigns a local ip-address to each device connected to it and keeps track of it via that address.

Depending on setup this might be in the range 192.168.0.xxx for example with the xxx being different for each connected device and assigned either dynamically by the router upon device connection or statically (pre-specified) if its important that the device address be constant.

Hmm ... still don't really see how that benefits the calling party (scammer).

On this side of the pond - and presumably in Europe too - some 30 or so years ago they brought in a service that allowed you to buy and pay for goods/services by phone by pushing the appropriate buttons during a call. The charge was collected by your phone company and passed along to the other party (presumably after the telco took a collection fee).

All very legitimate and useful to a few in its day but not heavily used even then and certainly not needed now. It was my assumption that the scammers were using this "service" to collect. In which case it would be simple for the telcos to stop it.

What kind of humidity levels are you chaps getting at these temperatures?

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 18/07/2022 22:48:35

Since no one enlightened me, should I assume that, although the "button-press" phone scam is regularly mentioned in these discussions, no one actually knows how it works?

To be fair, the products differ a bit from country to country. Canadian Heinz baked beans are different from British. Even though I originally grew up in the UK I prefer the Canadian version .... it's what you get used to.

.... and Canadian cars are left-hand drive !

It is trivial to create new email addresses using your domain name. Those email addresses have to be directed somewhere, so what they may mean is that they only give you one email box to forward them to. It's also possible that they will allow you to chose whether to forward to that box or alternatively forward to another (external) email address. Or indeed not forward them at all.

I have my domain parked at EasyDNS but I don't purchase email services from them. I can create any number of addresses from my domain and direct them individually to any other email address that I want (usually my ISP) including multiple addresses. (If your domain is based on your surname, you can create addresses for other family members and direct their email wherever they choose)

I can also kill email coming into specific addresses at that point. (Handy for creating a specific address to use with XYZ Company and then killing it later if they abuse it).

Don't forget that many (most?) home internet connections are asymmetric. That is, the upload speed is vastly slower that the download speed.

(fibre might be different - don't have it and haven't checked).

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 17/07/2022 19:29:05

AFAIK Heinz is a US Company if that was your point.

Would that help prevent the machine's fuse from blowing (which is the problem)?

(See also Jason's post above).

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 15/07/2022 01:47:32