Released today and first listen:

Geordie Greep - The New Sound (LP, 2024)
BC, SPO


Generated at awesomeprog.com

After a lot of fucking about with BT I eventually got full fibre installed today. There were 2 OR engineers, so while one did in the house the other got the fibre in - only took just over an hour to do. I still have my complaint in for the hassle I've been through and in fact yesterday I got a call from someone on the Exec Complaints team who seems quite high up in the BT hierarchy. I'll be talking to her again on Monday.

I still have to sort out my old BT account too as I have 2 running now - but that's for another day, though that will likely go wrong too.

So I've spent the rest of the day fiddling with my network, which is a ball ache with various web servers, containers, pihole, reverse proxies and media servers. Just about there now. This BT router whilst it works well is pretty crap compared my trusty old Zyxel. I'd love to use my old router but I doubt it's powerful enough to switch at FTTP speeds. After a tip I saw online I disabled the 5Ghz wifi on the new router and renamed the SSID and password to that of my old Zyxel. It worked well and most things just reconnected automatically. I may invest in a new router though - but I need to do some research.

And this is the result, but I doubt I'll use this speed to its fullest: 

IQ - The Road of Bones (LP, 2014)  Just re-released on red/black vinyl.
BC, SPO


Generated at awesomeprog.com

Quote from: Thenop on September 29, 2024, 08:30:50 PM

Quote from: pxr5 on September 29, 2024, 07:32:48 PM

Quote from: Thenop on August 10, 2024, 05:35:34 PM

Quote from: pxr5 on August 10, 2024, 04:41:26 PMThe first book in the 3 Body Problem trilogy by Liu Cixin. I think this is the best sci-fi I've ever read.

It is very good, hard sci-fi, real well thought out.

I'm half way through the second book in the series - The Dark Forest - the author, Liu Cixin, has incredible scientific insight and is very believable the way he puts things across. It all just gets better and better. There is a third book of course but then another by a different author. I'll be quite sad once I've finished them all, they really are that good - even better than the likes of Dune or Foundation. Just astonishing.

The third book, Death's End is also his. Not sure why you'd credit it to someone else. Maybe the translator is different?

No, after Death's End is a fourth book The Redemption of Time by Baoshu

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Redemption-Time-Three-Body-Problem-Novel/dp/1800248970/

^ And playing The Lytham Festival next year too.

https://www.lythamfestival.com/

Finished Snowpiercer. I think that's enough now.

Quote from: Thenop on August 10, 2024, 05:35:34 PM

Quote from: pxr5 on August 10, 2024, 04:41:26 PMThe first book in the 3 Body Problem trilogy by Liu Cixin. I think this is the best sci-fi I've ever read.

It is very good, hard sci-fi, real well thought out.

I'm half way through the second book in the series - The Dark Forest - the author, Liu Cixin, has incredible scientific insight and is very believable the way he puts things across. It all just gets better and better. There is a third book of course but then another by a different author. I'll be quite sad once I've finished them all, they really are that good - even better than the likes of Dune or Foundation. Just astonishing.

You all may recall my son's engagement that I posted about a short time ago. Well, they went to a wedding fair at a lovely place near us called Samlesbury Hall and entered a competition there; and today found out that they'd won it - the whole venue for the day all in. The only stipulation is it has to be Jan-Mar next year so they've sort of had theirs hands forced and have now arranged the wedding for Saturday 29th March 2025. It's saved them a lot of money but still loads more to consider of course.

Series 4 (and the final series) of Snowpiercer. Still quite good.

The Blue Nile - A Walk Across the Rooftops  a stunning album

Here are few moaners from the subreddit compoface - it's a laugh looking at https://www.reddit.com/r/compoface/ , there are some great ones, but here are a few comms-type ones:

https://www.reddit.com/r/compoface/comments/1dmmt4i/they_should_never_have_erected_this_pole_compoface/#
https://www.reddit.com/r/compoface/comments/1er0xky/5g_mast_compoface/
https://www.reddit.com/r/compoface/comments/1ewtvt6/street_in_bath_ruined_by_eyesore_virgin_media/

Jesus Fishy that's some story - sounds awful. I'm seeing more and more complaints from people online who get home and find a pole stuck outside their house. It'd be tempting to just knock it down, but I imagine the consequences would be severe. Luckily (or not) all our cabling in underground here - we've still got the OR problems to come yet after finally (hopefully) getting an order in.

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on September 24, 2024, 02:03:10 PM

Quote from: pxr5 on September 24, 2024, 10:02:35 AMStill fucking about with BT - they have become an absolutely shambolic company.

It used to be fairly easy to speak to a human at BT but this week despite trying on numerous occasions and at different times of day and evening I have been informed that the waiting time has been between 20-45 minutes. I've tried to find the answer I need online but to no avail. I firmly believe they're just mocking customers now, knowing that folk are aware that if they jump ship the lack of service will be similar or worse. I'm still open to suggestions though and would consider Sky or another provider if I hear better reports. I've had Openreach at the door a few times recently requesting access to the telegraph pole which they insist is in my garden, but isn't. Maybe the next time they knock the door I'll deny them access for a laugh and lock the rear gate.

When you contact BT ring this number instead:

Connections Team - 0800800030 (even if it's not them you need they can put you through elsewhere).

And for retentions use this:

Retentions Team - 08007831401

I've never had to wait longer than 5 minutes with that first number.

Some promising news on my part after that horrendous time on Monday. I rang again yesterday (Tue) lunchtime and got through to a guy in Stoke. He was the first person I've spoken who promised to take full ownership of my problems. But though he was from Connections he could also do orders - very useful. So he went to do another order for me with either BT or EE and neither would work, so he created me a completely new account and it went through - I've even got an OR appointment for Fri 08 Oct. He promised to ring today and he did at exactly the time he said he would and check all was good. He is going to ring again on Monday to keep an eye on things. I did explain to him how many other personnel I'd spoken to there had left me abandoned with no way of contacting them again, but he promised he would keep me fully updated all the time. So fingers crossed I may (touch wood) be actually getting somewhere. I think that's the main problem in that you always get another person in a random part of the UK each time you ring so there is no continuity. That person you speak to first should be somehow contactable. This guy in Stoke is also going to manage the switch over and handle my old account and any billing changes required.

Still fucking about with BT - they have become an absolutely shambolic company.

Yay, I had the Rega ND7 installed on my P6 earlier today. I can't try it out yet as we are in the middle of painting the lounge. But Ian, who fitted the cart, did a little test for me. He had my P6 plugged into a Rega Elicit-R and Sonus Faber bookshelf speakers. It all sounded incredible. He has some amazing kit there and it's more of a hobby to him than a business. It's not a proper shop either, rather a demo/listening space. Hopefully I'll have my system up again tomorrow to give it a run in. I also got a new Samsung soundbar in the post today to replace my old Sony 5.1. Fun times ahead.

This is the place - well worth a visit if anyone comes up to the Preston/Blackpool area. Ian just loves talking hifi.

https://vinylgrooveaudio.co.uk/