Bit of a blip

Well last night we seemed to lose the internet connection. Couldn't seem to call people either, although Jane had made a call earlier that night.

Tried to connect to the modem's config page, no joy.

Restarted the modem and everything is fine.

Anathem

Anathem

I have finished Anathem.


I am still processing it and so will not give it a score yet. It has marvellous ideas, and challenges the reader. My complaint is that because of the way it is written, there are times when the reader becomes a little disassociated from the action.

Solid SF, with hints of A Canticle for Leibowitz and that is no bad thing at all.

Shike (9/10)

Shike

Robert Shea
Historical Fiction

I have just re-read the two books in the Shike series Time of the Dragons and Last of the Zinja and they have reminded me that Robert Shea was far better than either Eric Van Lustbader or Lian Hearn at the whole Martial Art / Historical Fiction genre. This guy is up there with James Clavell (Shogun, Tai-pan) for compulsive page turning classics.

The story is set in Japan in the 12th Century, and is a tale of a warrior monk and a noblewoman who fall in and out of trouble. The story includes the Genpei War and the invasion of Japan by the Mongols.

If you liked any of the authors mentioned above, then I recommend you hunt down a second-hand copy, as it is currently out of print. It is also availiable for free at bobshea.net

Quality 4.5/5
Readibility 4.5/5

An issue has arisen with the VOIP Voicemail.

You cannot turn it off.

Sounds amazing but as this Forum Article shows it is not possible.

Furthmore our answering machine no longer works when connected to the VOIP line.

So an unanswered call goes to Voicemail, where you can set up a message. Which is OK except for a further issue. I do not get a notification that this has occured. I had to call a number to check my messages.

The solution that people are promoting on forums right now is to get the voicemail message emailed to you (in my case my iinet email address, which is not used for anything else). The message is attached as a wave file to the email.

So to check messages I get home, go to the computer (which I have left on to speed this up) and refresh the web page pointing at your email.

Why iinet do not allow Voicemail to be disabled stuns me.

I think that some answering machines will work on a VOIP line, but ours (a Telstra one) is a dud.

Not a deal breaker, but I would have liked a bit more info on that going in...

Voice Quality of VOIP

There was a question from dad about voice quality.

As far as I can tell the voice quality is fine. Possibly a slight drop in clarity, but that may just be my imagination, certainly not a problem.

EPL for free with iinet!

Well this is cool!

I have discovered that if you are with iinet there is a deal where you can stream EPL games to your computer free (does not count towards quota). I can then output the video via an s-video port on a T40/T43 to the Amplifier/Television.

The only reason Foxtel ever interested me was getting to see the soccer. There is a lot of other stuff offered as well, check out the link if interested

Going Naked (Part 3)

Friday the 21st (continued)

So I call the support line and explain that the VOIP is not working (when I dial a number I just get a beep beep beep beep beep).
After trying a few things, we reset both VOIP accounts on the modem and then set one to the VOIP account.
It all worked and the telephone successfully received and made calls.

The phone I am using is a wireless phone, with two handsets. I can add handsets to this if necessary. It does not conflict with the wireless router, which had been a slight conern.

Since then Jane has made a hour long call to Melbourne, and it was successfully logged and recorded on the Call Tracker, with a total charge of $0.00. All good.

Mobiles, 13 00 00 and 1300 000 000 numbers still cost ($0.20 for the last two).

I have had one wierd effect when the phone started to tick very loudly when someone called us from a Tram in Melbourne. I then got dad to call me on a mobile and the ticking effect did not occur, so I think it was just associated with the tram rather than VOIP.

Going Naked (Part 2)

Wednesday the 20th
Checked my webmail via iinet.com.au, still no email from AAE.
I called support and pointed out that they had nearly run out of time to give me my router. Support said they would send an email to the 'Hardware team'.

Thursday the 21st
Got an email from AAE saying that the hardware had begun its journey!

Friday the 22nd
Got the box! The box included:
- Wireless Belkin Router / modem.
- LAN Cable
- Install CD
- Wiring instructions.
- Phone cable

So I followed the instructions and connected things up and then inserted the sertup CD and bingo! I had Broadband and Wireless. The only issue was when the setup CD asked me for a 'service name' I left this blank and it turned out not to matter.

Securing Wireless was not possible with the setup CD as that part did not seem to work. But I just logged into the router (http://10.1.1.1) and it was easy enough to set up...

The VOIP however was not working...

Notes on Naked ADSL (Part 2)

Regarding the 000 issue I found an article on iinet that seems to answer that question. Good to know that it will work.

I am still unclear after a support call, but it seems that Voice Mail cannot be disabled. Surely this is not true?

LAN Cable / Wireless for T60 working.

I think a more environmtaly friendly solution for the USB drive for the router may be a USB Key. A powered drive would need to be on all the time, a flash drive will use less power.

Going Naked (Part 1)

Thursday the 7th:

I made the application to get Naked ADSL, deciding to get a modem from them rather than seperately, as iinet were saying that their support did not assist with non-iinet modems and the price difference was $10.

I immediately got an email telling me "We are currently processing your application and expect that your service should be ready to use within 10 to 20 working days, subject to full service qualification on your line."

Monday the 11th:

Got an email saying that "An approved technician will be switching your line to Naked DSL on 2008-08-15 between 13:00:00 - 17:00:00."
in addition: "If you requested hardware from iiNet, please note the delivery will be between 2 and 5 working days from the time your account goes active. An Australian Air Express consignment note will be issued to your new iiNet address once your account is active. Your consignment can then be tracked through the AAE "Track and Trace" facility at www.aae.com.au. Please take note once your hardware has been dispatched we will not be able to amend your delivery address."

I called support and the chap there seemed pretty confident that the modem would turn up on the 18th (Monday). The delivery address was work to make sure that it would be received.

Notes on Naked ADSL

Things to check out/do:
1. Does 000 work?
2. I think the Whitepages entry for us is gone.
3. How to disable Voicemail.
4. LAN Cable for the T60.
5. Get the USB Drive directly connected to the Router.

Random Thoughts…

Recently an interaction with a person went very wrong. The initial fault was mine, but the situation got worse because both of us took insult from the other persons’ actions and proceeded to ‘up the ante’.

It is important to be the person that ignores the insult and maintains their manners. For as was said in Shibumi:

...in the long run, the "minor" virtues are the only ones that matter. Politeness is more reliable than the moist virtues of compassion, charity, and sincerity; just as fair play is more important than the abstraction ofjustice. The major virtues tend to disintegrate under the pressures of convenient rationalization. But good form is good form, and it stands immutable in the storm of circumstance.
-- Trevanian: Shibumi

The more I look at that quote however, the less I like it. Because there is a higher calling than just manners, and it is this:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. --Matthew 7:12

There. That is something to strive for, and while we are at it here is another:

Be the change that you wish to see in the world. --Mahatma Gandhi

You cannot help but feel the strength of these ideas. A final one, for those looking to tie in a bigger picture:

God is love.-- 1 John 4:8

Start from this.

The Summer Queen (8.5/10)

Joan D. Vinge
Science Fiction

The Summer Queen is the kind of book I really enjoy reading. It begins in small parts of complex and original world, and slowly expands the readers understanding of that world until the final framework is laid clear.

This book is the final book in the so called “Snow Queen” sequence. I had read the Snow Queen many years ago, and I will now be looking for a copy of World’s End, the second in this series. Reading the first two books may or may not have increased the power of the final novel, as I quite enjoy working out was has gone before just from the asides in the story.

The first third of the book is somewhat stop-start as the author is trying to cover important events that occur over a span of years, but as the pace slows the quality of the story increases, and I found myself glued to the book for the final third enjoying myself immensely.

The book has strong characters, and is an excellent space opera in a similar tone to Walter Jon Williams at his best. Extremely good read…

Quality 4/5
Readibility 4.5/5

RSS

Well, my previous attempts to get RSS aggregation across the multiple networks I live on was a failure, but a combination of changed proxy settings and a new version of SharpReader seems to have things working.

It works far too well. Getting automatic updates from people such as Neil Gaiman, Daniel Keys Moran, William Gibson, RealLivePreacher, Stephen Fry, David Brin, Warren Ellis, Scott Adams and others is just wonderful...

Much quicker than old-style web surfing as well...

Robert Jordan Dead

Damm, I always thought he would make it.

I met him in 1993(?) in Perth during the National SF Con, and when I talked to him he told me that the first part of the Wheel of time story that had come to him was the finale. He explained that he had a very clear idea of what would happen at the end, and that this vision had never wavered.

The finish to this story will be the one part he will not get to write.

I am sure Memory of Light will be written eventually, indeed I know that he basically was writing it days before he died. It will not be the same, of that I am also certain...

Rest in Peace...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (7.5/10)

J.K. Rowling
Fantasy


I found the final Harry P novel a difficult one to read. The story seemed to have moved away from Hogwarts (and quiddich, etc.), and this left it without its core. In addition to this I felt that the time that Harry, Hermione and Ron spent in the wilderness was boring and caused the book to lose momentum. I recognize that this may have been an intentional device by the author to make the reader feel some of the suffering that Harry felt, but frankly I think there are better ways to work with your readers.

I also felt that once again J.K.R. was making it up as she went along and that story elements from past novels where being used in ways they had not been originally intended.

I was however pleased with the resolution of the Snape storyline, the plot has always benfited from Snape, with his ambivalent morality, and the final reveal was a good one. I do feel that more hints about this could have been left earlier in the books.

The finale was very good, and certainly worthy of the series, I was not surprised by the resurrection theme, as Harry was clearly going to die, and I felt that the author had no intentions of letting that bring down the whole series.

Would have liked a bit more dialogue between Harry and Ginny towards the end as well, that seemed to finish with words left unsaid…

Ultimately I believe that the great writers have a very good idea of where they are going when they begin their stories and I felt that JKR was staying only a book ahead of the readers in her plot planning. Tough? perhaps, but it was a constant concern with me from about book 3 of this series.

Readability (4/5) – Lost points for the boring bit in the middle, but the rest was easy to read.
Quality (3.5/5) – She made it up as she went along (with the probable exception of the Snape storyline).

Yes, yes...

Back again after another long layoff...

I am currently reading the Summer Queen by Joan D. Vinge. Damm! it is good!

This will drive me to find the dificult-to-find "World's End" I fear...

Perhaps Bookfinder will know.

Little Heroes (6.5/10)

Norman Spinrad
Science Fiction

The future of sex and drugs and rock & roll is the topic of discussion here. Despite a typically gritty and powerful effort from Mr. Spinrad it became somewhat repetitive toward the middle of the book and the final scene was dissapoiting. It is also somewhat dated by references to modems, rather than an internet, but the quality of the writing allowed that point to slide by in my opinion.

The book seemed to be somewhat limited in scope as well, with the whole world of the characters somewhat obsessed with sex and drugs and rock & roll.

Readability (4/5)
Quality (2.5/5)

YES!

Timmy,
originally uploaded by Player of Games.

Just a quick note to say that this was Australia's finest football moment. Unbelieveable. I have been broken and remade...

Discworld, Time Travel, etc.

Just finished Night Watch, another Terry Pratchett novel (Since I read Thud! I have recently re-read “Men at Arms”, “Feet of Clay”, “Jingo”, “The Fifth Elephant”, “The Truth”, “Night Watch” and have begun “Going Postal”).

Some things occur to me:

Firstly that the Discworld novels have become more and more about people and less and less about comedy/fantasy. This, it must be said, is a good thing, the Discworld novels are only getting better and one feels that you are reading a call to arms for a decent world, albeit on the back of a turtle and four elephants.

Secondly I have recently finished or am reading three novels that deal with time travel, “Night Watch” – Terry Pratchett, “The Anubis Gates” – Tim Powers and “Weapons of Choice” – John Birmingham.

The best of these three is the Anubis Gates, for the very simple reason that the story is consistent, and that no matter how people think they are changing history they end up following the script.

Night Watch takes the attitude that history can be deformed but will flex back into shape (with the help of the Monks of Time), this is far less satisfying as it seems to smack of lazy writing and in any event does not explain some of the events of the Night Watch, for example:

Vetinari asks Sam if he ever wondered why he wore a lilac, and Sam says that it was any man’s right, but appears not to know why Vetinari wore one. This makes no sense, the younger Sam would have known that Vetinari joined the fight after the ‘death’ of John Keel and so would have known why Vetinari wore the lilac; similarly Vetinari would have known that as well.

Finally Weapons of Choice just decides that history braches from the instant the battle group goes back in time. This is just a variant on the alternative history novel, which I have never really been that interested in. (I prefer my “what ifs” to focus on the future).