It is fairly common practice, even now I believe, that the dividing walls are double-brick, but with no cavity. Ours is like this, so sound travels through. When next door plug something in, it sounds like it is in our socket.
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What's made you grumpy today?
Oh yes, you can hear all their kitchen machines quite clearly. Food whisk particularly sound a bit like an aircraft taking off! TV sounds can be problematic too as the living rooms abut. Bedrooms are nice and quiet though.
Drains all good again.
Two very lovely men from Thames Water, lifted the cover in the road, jetted and poked, then moved in, to the bend at next door, then to miine and lifted the cover, prodded and jetted, all gone away. Bit of a pong, but it is disappearing.
Hopefully will last a little longer.
They said that most of the blockage was 'sanitary' stuff, wet wipes, and some nappy residue, like someone had cut up a nappy to pop it down the loo. Next door down, the one nearest the blockage, has a 1yr old, and probably zero brain cells. Next door up has a 2yr old, but very sensible, so unlikely to be from there. Next up again has a young baby. No idea if they could be the culprits, but the cause has been mentioned, so hopefully will not recur.
Two very lovely men from Thames Water, lifted the cover in the road, jetted and poked, then moved in, to the bend at next door, then to miine and lifted the cover, prodded and jetted, all gone away. Bit of a pong, but it is disappearing.
Hopefully will last a little longer.
They said that most of the blockage was 'sanitary' stuff, wet wipes, and some nappy residue, like someone had cut up a nappy to pop it down the loo. Next door down, the one nearest the blockage, has a 1yr old, and probably zero brain cells. Next door up has a 2yr old, but very sensible, so unlikely to be from there. Next up again has a young baby. No idea if they could be the culprits, but the cause has been mentioned, so hopefully will not recur.
My first house that I was describing was a nightmare if you wanted to drill a hole, basically the drill either hit rock hard granite lumps or very soft mortar that it was built with. I wanted to drill a 6 inch hole for a shower fan vent and ended up with a hole you could nearly climb through!
I had to have a new slate roof fitted, all the rest up the road were in good order as they had been replaced after the Germans bombed a school and church nearby taking all their roofs off in WW2, sadly with fatalities.
I had to have a new slate roof fitted, all the rest up the road were in good order as they had been replaced after the Germans bombed a school and church nearby taking all their roofs off in WW2, sadly with fatalities.
My Ipod Touch 6th gen is pissing me off.
I replaced the battery, which went fairly smoothly except I hamfisted the screen and boogered that up. First replacement screen, I broke the ribbon cable trying to plug it into the motherboard.
Second replacement screen, got that plugged in without effing anything up. Now, for the last three days, I've been trying to get the power switch cable plugged back into the motherboard. It's a tiny sucker and the bastard in the YT video makes it look easy. My eyes cross, the back of my neck and my left shoulder hurts after 15 minutes. Once I get that effen' cable back in place, the rest of it is ten minutes, if that, then I can fall asleep listening to fifties sci-fi radio shows again.
I replaced the battery, which went fairly smoothly except I hamfisted the screen and boogered that up. First replacement screen, I broke the ribbon cable trying to plug it into the motherboard.
Second replacement screen, got that plugged in without effing anything up. Now, for the last three days, I've been trying to get the power switch cable plugged back into the motherboard. It's a tiny sucker and the bastard in the YT video makes it look easy. My eyes cross, the back of my neck and my left shoulder hurts after 15 minutes. Once I get that effen' cable back in place, the rest of it is ten minutes, if that, then I can fall asleep listening to fifties sci-fi radio shows again.
That all sounds very ambitious, much too ambitious for the likes of little old me. Then again I don't have an ipad, tablet or smart phone so I'll not start worrying about it for now.My Ipod Touch 6th gen is pissing me off.
I replaced the battery, which went fairly smoothly except I hamfisted the screen and boogered that up. First replacement screen, I broke the ribbon cable trying to plug it into the motherboard.
My only phone is screwed to the wall
I went to the surplus store and bought a pair of head fit lighted magnifiers so I could see what I was doing. I'm 95% at getting the little pecker back together. Again with the sore neck and shoulders. Taking a break for awhile, possibly until tomorrow.
I have two Ipods, an Ipad, I think I have a couple of android tablets, a kindle, and a smart phone. Both Ipods are crammed with old radio shows. If I want to take a nap, one of those will do it. The 6th gen Ipod is basically a smaller version of my Ipad. The Ipad is my traveling companion. I have not turned on a hotel TV since I got it, because Netflix. The Ipad also doubles as an E-Reader, so I've retired my kindle. The android tablets had little RAM to start with so they are now paperweights.
I fought for years to not have a mobile phone but they were shoved down our throats at work 25 years ago. Now, I can't imagine not having one. I have no games or social media on it and I never will. I do have one hell of a reference library on it, though. Having a camera on it has been a boon for fixing crap in the field, too. The guys can show me what they are talking about and I can show them how stuff goes back together.
I have two Ipods, an Ipad, I think I have a couple of android tablets, a kindle, and a smart phone. Both Ipods are crammed with old radio shows. If I want to take a nap, one of those will do it. The 6th gen Ipod is basically a smaller version of my Ipad. The Ipad is my traveling companion. I have not turned on a hotel TV since I got it, because Netflix. The Ipad also doubles as an E-Reader, so I've retired my kindle. The android tablets had little RAM to start with so they are now paperweights.
I fought for years to not have a mobile phone but they were shoved down our throats at work 25 years ago. Now, I can't imagine not having one. I have no games or social media on it and I never will. I do have one hell of a reference library on it, though. Having a camera on it has been a boon for fixing crap in the field, too. The guys can show me what they are talking about and I can show them how stuff goes back together.
Mobile phones? I think I'd like to have one. Being able to take pictures anytime I'm out and about would be great. At present i have to remember to take my camera so only take photos when I'm "on a mission". Of course there are things like QR codes now too (no idea really of what you do with them) and people seem to show their phones to the driver on the bus which i presume is how they pay their fare? So much I don't know about and probably should know about. Then, of course, there's "the biggie" which is on line banking. The branches around here are steadily closing down and the only one I can really use - without getting on a bus for half an hour and going up into the centre of the city - is in a very inconvenient position with no parking nearby and further messed about by the tram construction work which means the nearest bus stop to it is closed. Its also a bit of a lottery because it's the nearest branch to the Migrant Hotel (an old cruise liner which they've anchored up in the docks to accommodate migrants) and there are times when the bank is almost unusable because it's knee deep in these poor souls trying to sort out their financial situations. If I did on line banking I can see how most of these problems would go away but the thought of it scares me rigid because I'm continually hearing of how people have lost all their money because of some low life who's clever with computers, doing them out of their life's savings!I went to the surplus store and bought a pair of head fit lighted magnifiers so I could see what I was doing. I'm 95% at getting the little pecker back together. Again with the sore neck and shoulders. Taking a break for awhile, possibly until tomorrow.
I have two Ipods, an Ipad, I think I have a couple of android tablets, a kindle, and a smart phone. Both Ipods are crammed with old radio shows. If I want to take a nap, one of those will do it. The 6th gen Ipod is basically a smaller version of my Ipad. The Ipad is my traveling companion. I have not turned on a hotel TV since I got it, because Netflix. The Ipad also doubles as an E-Reader, so I've retired my kindle. The android tablets had little RAM to start with so they are now paperweights.
I fought for years to not have a mobile phone but they were shoved down our throats at work 25 years ago. Now, I can't imagine not having one. I have no games or social media on it and I never will. I do have one hell of a reference library on it, though. Having a camera on it has been a boon for fixing crap in the field, too. The guys can show me what they are talking about and I can show them how stuff goes back together.
The big problem for me is the cost. At this time I have a very old "dumb" pay as you go phone which does calls, texts and nothing much else. I get on fine with it but use it so little I sometimes have to make a call home with it just to keep the number alive. I dialed 150 it for money the other day and it told me I have £7.50p credit in it. About half an hour later it texted me back to tell me the last time I topped it up was about 2.5 years ago and I put £10 into it at that time. When I look at the cost of buying and running a "smart" phone it absolutely terrifies me!
In the past my daughters have bought me two basic mobile phones as they worried if I was driving miles away somewhere, even though I pointed out I had been doing it for well over fifty years.
Both phones stopped working even though charged and in credit because the operators decided I wasn't using them enough.
Being at everyone's "beck and call" when working is accepted, but 24/7 is just stupid. I have had family members getting texts on their days off in the middle of the night telling them a member of staff is off and can they work etc.
No wonder so many people are stressed. Businesses in the past still made a profit working Monday to Friday 9-5pm and Saturday mornings for some shops.
Also in those days the "bread winner" could work a 40 hour week and provide for their entire family without the need for £1000 phones and £30,000 cars.
People may have more luxury items but it doesn't make them happy.
Aye Mike, that's very much why I have mine. They - Mrs J and the kids - were worried about how they'd find me if I collapse on one of my walkabouts but also useful for when I wander off in shopping malls when following them around gets too boring and I wander off to look at something more interesting - usually tool related or TVs/Audio gear.
Absolutely having more "stuff" doesn't add to your happiness. In fact, because these things can go wrong/stop working I believe they tend to up the anxiety quotient of everyday life. it's the simple life for me wherever possible.
I have used online banking for many years, including this morning when spending nearly £13k to pay for a Doblo, but the bank are trying to persuade everyone to do this on an 'app' on their phone instead.
When computers started, screens were small, with a 13" screen being much the norm, and later anyone with a 17" screen was special. As we moved into flat screens, they've got bigger, but every day, we are being pushed to use a tiny screen on a phone. Silliness.
Phones are being used for so much. Having it all on one device is risky, if lost or broken, worse than losing a wallet. At the same time, screens get larger, making carrying the thing more difficult. Pockets are too small, so most people seem to carry the thing, turning them into one-handed zombies. Humans developed above other animals, due to bigger brains, and opposable thumbs, yet we are happy to disable one by carrying a phone.
There was a survey a few years ago that determined that around 15% of young people did not know they could make voice calls from their 'phone'.
When computers started, screens were small, with a 13" screen being much the norm, and later anyone with a 17" screen was special. As we moved into flat screens, they've got bigger, but every day, we are being pushed to use a tiny screen on a phone. Silliness.
Phones are being used for so much. Having it all on one device is risky, if lost or broken, worse than losing a wallet. At the same time, screens get larger, making carrying the thing more difficult. Pockets are too small, so most people seem to carry the thing, turning them into one-handed zombies. Humans developed above other animals, due to bigger brains, and opposable thumbs, yet we are happy to disable one by carrying a phone.
There was a survey a few years ago that determined that around 15% of young people did not know they could make voice calls from their 'phone'.
I still feel the need to get paper invoices from utilities etc. that way I can check all of the details, which you can't if looking at "letterbox" size screen.
Something else that concerns me is all this storing all your private stuff on the "cloud", one day some rogue state will press a button and all proof of what you had will disappear. Not a problem for all the wealthy with bullion stored safely just the peasants.
I do have limits on what I will do with my phone. Anything to do with the transfer of MY money, I will not do. Tik Tok, or Twitter, no way. There is a bit of Facebook, but that's just uploading a photo or answering an IM from a friend or two. I see those maybe once a week.
I do book flights and use my phone to check in if I'm only flying with carry-on. I book my hotels and rental cars with the phone, too. I can do all three in about 10 minutes. I can also do my expense reports on my phone. That there is a great time saver. Most of the QR codes I run across are for restaurant menus. I don't like it, but whatchagonnado.
As far as youngsters, we had a new hire that I took out in the field with me who insisted that I text him. If I leave him a voicemail, he will not return my call. My reply was I'm not going to text you. If I leave a voicemail and you do not return my call, I will fire you. End of conversation.
My boss, on the other hand, should have his phone surgically implanted. I don't mind answering a question or two via text, but he likes to do twenty question text fests. When he gets like that, I tend to ignore him until he calls bitching at me. Then I answer his questions.
As far as costs go on this side of the pond, the price of the phone is built into the contract, usually two years. After the two years, the phone is yours. The problem is that many of the most popular phones out there barely have a lifespan of two years. I never got more than 18 months from a Samsung before they'd start to go nuts and die. Earlier LG phones were better than the newer ones. My current phone, a Kyocera DuraPro 2, is a mil-spec unit, tough as nails, three years old, still going strong, and was hundreds of dollars cheaper than what AT&T tried to sell me. Sadly, discontinued.
My siblings all use Trac-Fone, which is pay as you go. As none of them have traveled as much as I have or needed their phone for their jobs, it works great for them.
I do book flights and use my phone to check in if I'm only flying with carry-on. I book my hotels and rental cars with the phone, too. I can do all three in about 10 minutes. I can also do my expense reports on my phone. That there is a great time saver. Most of the QR codes I run across are for restaurant menus. I don't like it, but whatchagonnado.
As far as youngsters, we had a new hire that I took out in the field with me who insisted that I text him. If I leave him a voicemail, he will not return my call. My reply was I'm not going to text you. If I leave a voicemail and you do not return my call, I will fire you. End of conversation.
My boss, on the other hand, should have his phone surgically implanted. I don't mind answering a question or two via text, but he likes to do twenty question text fests. When he gets like that, I tend to ignore him until he calls bitching at me. Then I answer his questions.
As far as costs go on this side of the pond, the price of the phone is built into the contract, usually two years. After the two years, the phone is yours. The problem is that many of the most popular phones out there barely have a lifespan of two years. I never got more than 18 months from a Samsung before they'd start to go nuts and die. Earlier LG phones were better than the newer ones. My current phone, a Kyocera DuraPro 2, is a mil-spec unit, tough as nails, three years old, still going strong, and was hundreds of dollars cheaper than what AT&T tried to sell me. Sadly, discontinued.
My siblings all use Trac-Fone, which is pay as you go. As none of them have traveled as much as I have or needed their phone for their jobs, it works great for them.
I just think it odd that here a few years ago people complained about civil liberties regarding identity cards so it was abandoned and yet they walk around with something that tracks them, has all their life history on it and listens to their conversations plus at the minimum, using that information to persuade them to buy products they don't need
.All that is without the non productive time they spend on them, what a waste of a life.
One of my partner's hearing aids has given up. Only 15 months old. Specsavers said, "bring it in, we'll have a look, but if we can't fix it, we'll send it back to the manufacturer for repair. Probably 2 weeks turnround."
I think that's poor. It is a simple behind the ear unit, so standard, not moulded to individual ear shape. They should have them in stock, and program one immediately. They work as a pair, programmed for each ear. With just the one, it is like talking to the wall. We can look forward to 2 weeks of no proper communication.
I think that's poor. It is a simple behind the ear unit, so standard, not moulded to individual ear shape. They should have them in stock, and program one immediately. They work as a pair, programmed for each ear. With just the one, it is like talking to the wall. We can look forward to 2 weeks of no proper communication.
Luckily here in Edinburgh we have a very good audiology department at the main hospital. My doctor sent me there when he diagnosed hearing problems for me and they fitted me with the standard behind the ear aids for both ears. The result has been nothing short of miraculous, I can hear the birds again! and all those "funny" wee tapping noises the engines make and a lot more. Because they are national health I get them, and the batteries to run them, for free. I'm guessing you had to buy from Specsavers? but I don't know how it works in England? So far I've not had any problems with mine so I don't know what the repair procedure or times would be.
Specsavers can do them on the NHS, but resist.
Here, the NHS ones are simple, mostly just an amplifier, although some have four channels. Each channel can be programmed to amplify to different levels, so is selective, amplifying the bits you cannot hear, not just everything. Private ones can go up to nine channels I believe, and the upper models can have several different modes, for TV, out & about, busy rooms, etc. We went mid-range, so one mode, but 5 channels. The last ones, from a private consultant, lasted about 8 years, but he retired. The Specsavers ones seemed fine, until one has broken. The speed of service is very poor. They have a 4-yr warranty. When that's up, when they begin to falter, I think we may be looking elsewhere again.
Meanwhile, it is a bit like the 'Two Ronnies' sketch, 'answer the question before last'.
That's interesting. I don't know how many channels, or anything else, mine have but the left ear is definitely programmed differently from the right. Before I got properly used to them I once managed to put them in the wrong ears - not easy because the pipes are differently bent - I knew right away I'd done something wrong because what I was hearing was all wrong. I wouldn't be surprised to learn they are quite basic but I've become used to them and get on just grand as they are.
