RECORDED MESSAGES FRUSTRATE

 Republic -- "If you can keep it."  [Democracy]

        Accountability for January 6th Insurrection

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings continue in the fall.

QUESTION:  Are more of the American people beginning to realize the threat to turn our form of government into an autocracy by using fear and intimidation of possible  violence by those inciting a civil war?

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms died at age 96 years, 8 September 2022, Balmoral Castle Scotland.  She reigned 70 years.

                

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

Dull moments seldom appear in my household.  I always have something to either demand my attention or I am attracted to engaging in numerous other activities that give me pleasure.

Wonders never change -- last week I was writing of our unusual excessively hot humid temperatures.   Now, thanks to that rare Hurricane Kay coming up our Pacific Coast from Mexico our heat wave ended.   Kay became a lesser tropical storm after colliding with a high-pressure system from the north resulting in our experiencing very welcome but unusual cooler temperatures.  Never mind, we're promised some hotter weather again before our summer ends.

The dreaded mud slides in previously burned forest fire areas have brought devastation but not to my community.   I shudder when I view TV news reports here and around the world of those driven from their homes or worse, thanks to the vagaries of climate change.

Long-promised and even longer awaited conversion to fiber-optic internet service has finally come to our neighborhood and more specifically my home.  Even my landline phone service transmission is now changed to the internet with an 8-hour backup battery should my electricity ever cease.  

The scenario wasn't that efficient leading up to the installation of this fiber-optic change but that only took several hours for the technician to accomplish one afternoon this past week.  Granted for that final actual change I didn't have to do anything, but somehow, I always seem to feel almost as tired as if I had done the labor.  I don't recall feeling that way when I was younger so wonder if that is just me, or is it an aging thing?   Oh, and another thing, why does everything always happen at once instead of occurring on different days?

The previous week I was busy getting exhausted as the young men working in my garage replaced by hot water heater.  In the midst of all this came my phone company agent to discuss my ordering installation of their fiber-optic system for internet and phone.   He had no printed material to leave with me to review and consider later.   We took a photo of his working rate form and particulars with my iPhone for my convenience.  

I phoned the agent the first of the week, discussed further installation matters and placed my order.  He immediately connected us with a third party to initiate the change portion taking place by phone which took about a half hour.  

As luck would have it, at the end of that process there was a glitz resulting in my having to call their customer service number.   I was apprehensive since I had gone through that process a week or so earlier which became one of those recorded message nightmares.  The message was:  "We're working quickly to answer your call, but it is taking a little bit longer than normal and someone will be with you soon."  

That time they eventually said there would be a 45-minute delay.  I could hold or they would call me when the customer service agent was available.  I optioned the call-back which came after 45 minutes but I still had to hold again.  No offer for a call-back as before.  Totally exasperated after another 45 minutes passed just as I was about to hang up a real live person answered.  What kind of weird system was that?

This time I wasn't offered the call-back option, had to hold 45 minutes again, became exasperated again and was ready to disconnect just as a service representative answered.  Turns out there was no need for me to call them but I had no way of knowing that then.  

My on-site installation occurred several days later as scheduled -- new line to my house and all the changes inside accomplished by the technician in a few hours.  

My landline phone now goes through the internet, has an 8-hour backup battery if the electric power shuts down.  I can't see that the internet speed on my computer is any faster than what I had, but I'll see.

Isn't progress wonderful!