h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

...but the system has just turned slow and balky?

Everything seems back to normal now. I did all the things you should do before contacting tech support - switch the PC on and off, check the connections, run a couple of scans for malware.

Well, all the things bar one - reboot the modem.

I don't know for certain if that was the problem - he did a couple of things at his end (which by his accent sounded like Bangalore) before suggesting I rebooting the modem. I mentioned to him that I've had problems similar to this once or twice in the past when it turned out to be a corroded connector in the ISP's junction box outside.

Anyway, it's all working again. He said I should reboot the modem once a week. I will do, but I've had modems running for months and months at a time with never a problem.

I don't make it a habit of rebooting our modem and routers, but it's the first thing I do when there's a problem. And I've rebooted the modem twice and my router about four times so far. Yesterday I did my own trouble shooting while I was still downstairs at the parents. I tested his data speeds (using http://www.speedtest.net ). His computer, which is hard wired to the router, was getting speeds around 58 Mbps. I'm getting around 1.5 Mbps. Then I checked my speed again with my phone through my router. Still 1.5 Mbps. Then I connected to the downstairs router. Back up to 58 Mbps. It's definitely not the modem and his router works fine. I had replaced his router a few months ago (I think it was after I returned from our Memorial Day annual run) after they had power surge/lightning strike. I've been noticing these low speeds since I came home late Saturday night and the internet was down and I rebooted the modem and routers. Maybe I got a partial surge? I dunno... I just can't think of anything else to try before buying a new router.

I thought of something.

The obvious thing...

Reboot everything again. I'm not quite sure I rebooted the downstairs WiFi router before and since the upstairs router is routed through that one, that could be an issue. After a long, deliberate rebooting of first the modem, then the downstairs router, then finally the upstairs one, my connection is 10 times as fast. That process saved me $50 - $100.

Result!

It often works with me that if I don't boot everything in the right order it doesn't happen. One day it'll all be like Star Trek - you never hear Kirk or Picard or Sisko or O'Brien or Janeway say "Did you turn it off and switch it on again?".

Why aren't there women called Queenie any more? I had an Aunt Queenie when I was younger, and there's Queenie Watts who was in Alfie and Sparrows Can't Sing and Romany Jones and Yus My Dear. I think it's a fine name.

Bloody hell, Ted Cruz got something (almost) right *Faints* ::THUD:: ©® http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2015/sep/04/ted-cruz/ted-cruz-says-its-always-been-law-babies-born-us-c/

It must be the end times

Even Faux News a personality has come out on the side of reason this week.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/shep-smith-rails-against-anti-gay-haters-during-kim-davis-presser/

Regarding the Kim Davis Show,

“They set this up as a religious play again,” he said. “This is the same crowd that says, ‘We don’t want Sharia law, don’t let them tell us what to do, keep their religion out of our lives and out of our government.’ Well, here we go again.”

That came from Faux News? Good grief.

Is a group of witches in an air-conditioned room a fan-assisted coven?

Is it no longer possible for anyone to make a video without needlessly adding music to it now? Especially a video which, with a commentary, could have been very interesting. And especially *this* particular kind of music which has been adorning American TV ads for some years now and which has become all-pervasive because it's exactly the kind of music the BBC persistently, annoyingly, pointlessly and distractingly drops into its cookery programmes and which has me so irritated that I no longer watch them
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/look-inside-liverpool-williamsons-tunnels-10038446

I was watching another video this morning which I had to leave half way through because the music was so annoying... I'm trying to remember which one it was. Oh yes http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3&v=EABQ5psUz70

Sometimes I enjoy the b/g music, but like in these videos it's often distracting at best. I typically turn the volume down to almost off, or go ahead and mute it if believe there will be no narration or dialogue.

There should be a button on YouTube to replace the soundtrack to any video with Yakkety Sax.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8mUMSi5M8g






(There's a clip from _Deliverance_ redubbed with Yakkety Sax you can find on YouTube. I'd link to it, but it is just so hilariously disturbing I decided to leave it to you decide for yourself if you want to see it.)

We put an Easter Egg on one of our pages at work - not a page on the website and not one that can be accessed unless you're logged in with your company email - of one of our employees actually doing some physical work, with that soundtrack Even if I could link to it I'd probably be violating some kind of non-disclosure notice.

Did anyone else know about this?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fzblz
I Was... Douglas Adams' Flatmate

I'm keen to hear I Was... Chet Baker's Last Tour Manager. 'Chet Baker Sings' is one of my favourite albums.

I'll have to listen to it tomorrow at work.

If anyone decides to make a biopic of Hillary Clinton, they could do worse than cast Lesley Manville in the lead role. As long as she can pull off the accent, that is.
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480x270/p0320x1g.jpg

The Krays missed a trick there http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/indian-man-killed-after-careless-workmen-build-a-road-over-him-10513431.html

Get your victim drunk before putting them in the Bow flyover, then it looks like they fell into the concrete all on their own

Remind me never to have one for the road.

I actually managed to stay awake all evening yesterday, right up until proper bedtime Can't remember the last time that happened. Can it be coincidence that I don't have to go to work for another week?