Re: In other news

On 13.08.2023 23.28, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
> 
>> On 09.08.2023 14.19, Merlyne wrote:
>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>
>>>> On 01.08.2023 13.32, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 27.07.2023 15.32, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 22.07.2023 17.21, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On 18.07.2023 13.24, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 12.07.2023 13.22, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 08.07.2023 17.01, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 05.07.2023 14.14, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 02.07.2023 16.29, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 28.06.2023 13.31, Merlyne wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I got a new phone and a better plan.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Why are cell plans so much more expensive in my
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> country vs the US? 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CAPITALISM! It's always capitalism. We've been over
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sure. Are you sure that it's not related to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> population base? 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you pay the same country-wide and you the same
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> coverage in sparsely populated areas (I know you have
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> some of those), then maybe. But most likely
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> capitalism. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ugh!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I got a new S21 and 20GB of data for $47/month
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> taxes in. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I pay a base fee of ~$4/month (deducted from
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> consumption) with slightly higher per-minute charge
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and no free data. But then I only use data in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> emergency (which haven't happened yet) and make
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> maybe two calls and two texts/month. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I used to have a prepaid cell for like $10 a month
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> back in 2003 when it was my emergency phone.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Once I started using it all the time, it was more
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cost-efficient to have a plan with unlimited talk and
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> text. I would say that I am most frequently contacted
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> by text than by other modes i.e. voice call or email.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On the other hand I still pay for a landline (IP)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> even though it hasn't made a sound (or call) in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> several years. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I also have a landline. My Dad calls it and a few
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> places where I keep forgetting to change my contact
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> info to my cell. I think the landline isn't VOIP it's
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> whatever came before that but after rotary dial
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> phones. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Analog... (rotary dials relied on counting the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> impulses - one for each digit passed on return;
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pushbutton 'dialing' relied on the frequency of the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> tone correspondig to each digit/button) 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> They will probably phase it out eventually.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Like they did with teevee signals, thus making
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> everyone get new teevees... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I thought I got a new tv because the old one stopped
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> working. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That may be, but lots of people got new tvs because
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> their old one couldn't receive/decode the digital
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> signal. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The cable company gave out digital conversion boxes to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> people. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Can you still get one of those. To use on an old teevee
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that you buy at an antique shop?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> I doubt anything would work on a tv that old.
>>>>>>>>>>>> In theory it would. It would require a digital to analog
>>>>>>>>>>>> conversion and probably a granularity reduction from HD to
>>>>>>>>>>>> PAL or [whatever the American format is called]. An old
>>>>>>>>>>>> cable converter might just work if one could bypass the
>>>>>>>>>>>> subscription bit. 
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> It could work from an antenna. Some channels are in the air.
>>>>>>>>>>> In HD even. 
>>>>>>>>>> That's what I meant, using the antenna as input for the box. A
>>>>>>>>>> really old TV will probably make a mess of an unaltered HD
>>>>>>>>>> signal. 
>>>>>>>>> I can imagine.
>>>>>>>>> It would probably make a mess of SD signals too.
>>>>>>>> And if by some miracle it could be made to work, there probably
>>>>>>>> wouldn't be anything good on anyway.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Nonsense! There are always quality programming available like
>>>>>>> those reality shows were a farmer needs a wife.
>>>>>> Grrr! No matter when I look it seems to be all American 'Married
>>>>>> at first sight' or some survival show...
>>>>>
>>>>> There's now a couple of them on about finding a spouse for farmers.
>>>>
>>>> And some where they put couples in an isolated spot and see how long
>>>> it takes for people to cheat on their partners. *sigh*
>>>
>>> And how long does it take? I need closure.
>> Sorry, I don't have that information. I don't watch that type of
>> programming. It's detrimental to my health.
> 
> I bet it would help you fall asleep = good for your health

Not really. I tend to get irrationally angry that this shite is even
produced, much less broadcast - using my money to do it.

>>> I see that Big Brother is back for it's 25th season.
>>> Ugh!
>> But of course it is... It's what the people want.
> People are stupid!
Gatorade contains a lot of electrolytes... (guess the reference for the
chance to win a modest prize)

>>>>>> They do show Colombo (again) but late at night and I still
>>>>>> remember all the plots from last time.
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't remember all the Columbo plots. Doesn't matter since they
>>>>> show you who did at the beginning of the show.
>>>> Yes but Colombo is more about howdonit than whodunit... and Colombo
>>>> pretending to be dumb but really being very smart of course.
>>>>
>>> And one more thing...
>> Oh yeah, it must have slipped my mind for a moment...
>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have Acorn and BritBox now so I can catch up on all my British
>>>>>>> murder mystery shows. I feel with the writer and actor strike
>>>>>>> that there may be a long tv show drought.
>>>>>> I get BritBox as well (on that streaming service). They have Yes
>>>>>> Minister/Prime Minister.
>>>>>
>>>>> I never watched that one.
>>>> It's a good introduction into how gubbernment *really* works... sort
>>>> of. 
>>>>
>>>>> I'm going to finish Good Omens and then watch the latest season of
>>>>> The Witcher. The next season of The Wheel of time starts September
>>>>> 1. 
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I did see a Canadian police series in french. It had all the right
>>>>>> characters:
>>>>>> - a neuro-divergent sketch artist with 'amazing' abilities,
>>>>>> - a wheel-chair bound, female chief always wearing a baseball cap,
>>>>>> - a young arab gay forensic investigator,
>>>>>> - a semi-alcoholic older detective who broke all the rules
>>>>>> (violently) - a middle aged female researcher, who was a former
>>>>>> elite hacker. And that was just the Good Guys(tm).
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't know that one. I used to watch 'District 31' when I was on 
>>>>> language training.
>>>> 'Portrait Robot' in Canadian. ('The Sketch Artist' in 'danish').
>>>> I don't know 'District 31' but I do have a Belgian series of all
>>>> things, all about sex-crimes.. in Flemish language.
>>>>
>>>>>>> And speaking of programming, I wrote a Python program today
>>>>>>> without taking a course.
>>>>>> I had no idea you were a parseltongue.
>>>>>
>>>>> Well, I had to do something after I failed out of wizard school.
>>>> Is that even possible. I thought you would just have to take the
>>>> year again. Or become Key Warden or something.
>>>
>>> But eventually they found out that I'm too stupid to be a wizard.
>> Is that even possible? I thought it's an innate ability for those whom
>> it is gifted.
>>
> I'm more of a Rincewind type of wizard or not gifted at all.
> Smoke and mirrors!
I'm not familiar. Or _a_ familiar for that matter...

>>>>>> One of these day I'm gonna install the ADA pre-compiler for gcc
>>>>>> again and think of something to code in it... Something with a lot
>>>>>> of things happening at the same time.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> No, you won't.
>>>>
>>>> I will. Some day...
>>>
>>> Right after you build that water feature in your yard, I'm sure.
>>
>> Well I won't be able to work on the water feature in winter, so I
>> could do the installing then.
>>
> Isn't that when you are painting the living room?
> *snickers*
No that was this spring, theoretically... Or next spring. Some time when
I can keep the doors and windows open.

> Anyhoo....
> You should learn Python so that you can nitpit my code.
What made you think that I don't know Python? (I don't, but still)
What made you think I can't nitpick any code from a position of relative
ignorance?

But really. Code is code. The symbols may be different but logic is
forever...

-- 
BeH

" We are trapped by language to such a degree that every attempt to
formulate insight is a play on words." - Niels Bohr