View from the Mountain

Adding Fiber To Your Life

Fiber connectivity can make a huge difference in your life. When we started planning our move, my first requirement was that we find a home with fiber connectivity. It was not a snap decision. My work career in technology will hit four decades in 2022, and all of those years have revolved around a home office. Recent changes in what is expected from home office workers have reinforced the lessons learned from years of trying to stay connected enough to do my job.

Like many people who have been on a cable modem for decades, my experience has been a roller-coaster with some very frustrating experiences. Our most recent home before the move was in a new subdivision serviced by a national cable company. By the time we moved in February 2021, our speeds had increased to 488 Mbps down and 24 Mbps up. Because of bundling our phone service also was delivered by cable modem. The numbers looked impressive on the surface.

However, with a job that involves clients in over twenty states and a home office over seven hours driving away from our corporate office, experience had taught me that I could still expect problems with video conferencing which had become critical to meeting the needs of our clients since the pandemic.

Video conferencing with our cable modem, even with the best speeds that my cable modem company could deliver, involved using both the phone and my computer to establish a video conference link. Other collaborative tools like Slack were not consistently reliable when making phone calls or sharing screens. Even worse, sharing files was anything but instant since many of the proposals I prepared often reached sizes that were unimaginable just a few years ago. I depended on tools like Box for sharing files and an unreliable Internet connection is a nightmare when sharing files or screens in real time.

When we got to the point of making an offer on a new home, we had two homes with fiber connectivity and one with DSL. We quickly discarded the DSL home and bought one of the fiber homes. Having a symmetric 500 Mbps fiber connection provided by our local telephone company has taken connectivity worries out of my life and office. Now when I am joining a video conference whether through Zoom, Teams, or GoToMeeting, all I do is click a link for crystal clear voice and video. I no longer tie up our home phone line for audio in what can only be described as often frustrating video conferences where my participation was often flaky because of connectivity problems.

My biggest worry beyond office connectivity in making the switch to fiber was my wife and how she would take to streaming. What we could get through streaming turned out to be far more flexible and entertaining than I expected. While my wife cannot see all of her favorite shows live, she has not had to give up any shows and and she has found a far broader choice of shows. We get local live television through Paramount+. We rotate through a number of streaming services, cancelling them sometimes for several months until their content has been refreshed. My wife who is somewhat reluctant with technology changes has learned how to stream the shows that she wants without help from me. 

In our previous home, our cable service had the most basic TV service, the best Internet, and nationwide phone service. It took constant vigilance and regular arguments with the cable company to keep our bills under $180 per month. By the time we moved, our efforts to stay within the $180 meant we not longer had PBS, and saw only a very few sports events. Even the Weather Channel had disappeared from our service.

In addition to the monthly expense, an average of once a month, I went through an often frustrating reset of my cable modem due to loss of connectivity. I also had to switch out my cable modem every few years. At least twice during those switches, I lost connectivity for a day or more due to problems getting the new modems configured.

I do not miss my cable bills or the headaches. I love our fiber connection.

Our current costs with symmetric 500 Mbps (which not everyone needs- we have 29 connected devices in our home), nationwide/Canadian VOIP telephone service and a monthly budget of $40 in rotating streaming services is $140. Every service that we have now is better than what we had before. The almost $500 in annual savings is certainly a welcome bonus. We experimented with streaming while we were on cable, and there is no doubt in my mind that streaming is far better with the fiber than what we had in our previous house. We just don't have buffering issues now. I have also found that a simple large battery backup allows me to run our fiber network during power outages. There have been NO connectivity battles and I have not even talked to our Internet service provider since I signed up for service ten months ago.

With all that and what fiber to the home can provide now and in the future, I do not see us ever buying another home without fiber.

David Sobotta is a VP and Senior Broadband Analyst with WideOpen Networks which is currently building fiber to the home in Blacksburg, Virginia. He and his wife live in a very rural subdivision in Davie County near Mocksville, NC.

Streaming is Like Self-Serve Fuel Pumps

Technology changes like ATMs and self-serve gas pumps arise not because they were designed to immediately make our lives easier. Technology change almost always puts more pressure initially on the end users than it does on the people deploying the changes. In the case of ATMs and gas pumps, a lot of people lost jobs. I suspect it took most people a while to get used to both changes and that does not include the people without jobs. I know it me a while to adjust.

It had been easy just to drive up to the gas pump and not worry about getting gasoline on my hands or clothes before a sales call. It was also easy (at least when the Cable was working) to spend years in the simple-minded world of cable TV. When we first started using cable TV, there was no cable Internet. We got our first Internet connection through a dial-up modem on a telephone line.

A number of years ago, I started streaming with a Roku box. Netflix was the first service we tried. Since those early years, I have used many streaming services and devices but we always could fall back on cable TV.

Then we moved in February 2021. As part of our move we cancelled our cable service on February 1. We never even made contact with a cable company when we moved. There was no need because we were relocating to a home with a great fiber Internet connection. We signed up for a 500 Mbps symmetric fiber Internet connection and went all in on streaming.

The world of streaming in not as easy as turning on the TV and changing channels with a flipper. However, it is not impossible even for those less technical than me.

The first thing you need to do is to buy a new smart TV unless you have bought one in the last year or two and have yet to be able to figure it out. It might well be all you to embrace streaming. The next step is to cancel your cable subscription at the end of the month. Going cold turkey is an important step. Otherwise you might fall back into what is easiest but not cheapest. Your Internet will likely cost you more once you stop “bundling” with the cable company but you will still end up saving money.

Unless you pick an all-encompassing streaming service like YouTube TV, your choices of streaming services should be viewed as more whim than long term commitment. With a couple exceptions, most of our streaming choices only last a few months.

One of the exceptions is Paramount+. Because we can get live local TV for the news, we have yet to cancel Paramount+. Other services, even Netflix stay on a rotating schedule. We subscribe when we hear something interesting is about to be broadcast. Sometimes we ignore a service for months.

The other exception is Amazon’s Prime video. It comes built into our Prime membership. One of the other tricks to streaming is that we manage many of the subscriptions through Amazon. Now it doesn’t always work because there are raging battles for position in the industry. I believe HBO Max and Prime just had a falling out. You cannot get Apple TV on Amazon Prime because Apple wants you to manage your subscriptions on their Apple TV hardware. However, if you do use Prime, you can sometimes find channels on sale. We have tried a couple for 99 cents per month.

Currently, we subscribe to Britbox, PBS Masterpiece, Acorn TV, Paramount+ and Apple TV. The average cost is $5.99 per month for a total $29.95. When added to our $84. 99 symmetric 500 Mbps Internet , our entertainment expense without telephone or Prime Video is $114.94. Prime membership costs us $119 a year and I feel comfortable allocating it the same $4.99 a month that I pay for Apple TV.

With that our entertainment costs are $119.98 monthly if you allocate all of the Internet costs to entertainment. However, I work from home and use the Internet for work at least three times as as much as I use it for watching TV. I could easily say my entertainment Internet cost is $21.99 a month and my business cost is $63. Using that logic, streaming services (Britbox, PBS Masterpiece, Acorn TV, Paramount+, Apple TV & Prime Video) cost $34.94 and Internet for them costs $21.99 for a total of $56.93 per month. If you throw in the full Internet, the services rise to total of $119.98 monthly.

A lot of people use their cell phones for home phones, but since we have fiber, we bought an Internet VOIP service. It costs us $12.67 monthly for unlimited calling to the US and Canada. It includes voicemail, fax, and a number of other features. The line is used almost exclusively for outbound business calls.

However, if you are looking to compare a complete triple play cable modem Internet, cable TV and phone system to ours, our total cost with all entertainment & Internet costs would be $119.98 plus $12.67 for a monthly total of $132.65.

There are three or four months out of the year when we watch Netflix now at $17.99 per month. However, we work to keep our streaming costs under $40 per month so we will pause two or three of the other services when we are using Netflix.

Before we moved our typical cable bill for Internet, phone, and as little TV as we could get was close to $180 per month in 2020. Even then we were still using Amazon Prime Video and some Netflix on top of that. Our costs for all of it was around $200 per month.

Conservatively, we are saving $65 a month from our previous bills. On top of it all we have better Internet service and our phone calls are crystal clear. I can also do multi-point video conferences straight from my computers. The saving are almost identical to the $65 a month we are saving on our two cell phones after we switched from Verizon to the Google FI service.

Our total communication charges are now less than $200 a month including cell phones. At one time it was over $330. We are saving over $1,500 a year.

Today we have a more flexible system. We often watch our local news on an iPad Pro on the kitchen table. You have to be smart about streaming and it takes some learning but with a little practice, you can watch a very wide variety of shows and save significant money. Just like ATMs and self-service gas pumps were in their day, streaming is the wave of the future. You can embrace it now or cling to the old ways until they practically disappear.

Our TV hardware includes the following, LG - 65” Class CX Series OLED 4K UHD with Smart webOS TV and a Fire TV Cube — 4K Ultra HD - 2019 release. The Fire TV cube is under $100 and allows you to control some of the TV with your voice. There are TVs with Fire TV/Alexa built-in. We tried the LG Web TV interface but preferred the Fire TV interface that we were already using on another older TV. You can buy less expensive Fire TV devices. I am not sure how they compare. There is no exact way to put all this together and when you sign into the services make sure that you keep your passwords straight. I guarantee you will need them especially when you start turning services off and trying new ones.

The old girl get new wheels

The title of the post could obviously be taken in a couple of ways, but the picture should clear up any misunderstanding.

About 21 years ago we moved from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Columbia, Maryland.  At the time Columbia had some great streets for biking in their neighborhoods.

I went out and bought a shiny new bike and have enjoyed it immensely ever since.  When we lived in Roanoke, Virginia, I had to put my bike on a car mounted rack and drive it off the mountain before I could ride it.  Still I had a lot of fun riding it in Roanoke.

I have had to replace the tire tubes once, and there have been a few tuneups over the years, but my bike has been pretty maintenance free.  I have always kept it inside.  It has gone on vacation with us a few times.  The most memorable trip was one to Bald Head Island where I got to ride my bike to get the morning paper.

I tell my wife that riding the bike is like taking an Aleve.  A good bike ride seems to loosen everything up.

When I came back from my recent trip to the Charlotte area, I immediately noticed that I had a flat tire.  I wasn't really surprised since I had recently noticed  some serious cracks in the sidewalls.

The first chance I got I loaded the bike in the pickup truck and headed to my favorite bike shop, Highway 58 Bicycles, in Emerald Isle.   One of the fellows said he saw an old girl limping in, hence the title of the the post.

I came hoping only for a couple of tires and tubes, but ended up with new wheels.

Considering how little money that I have put into my bike over the years, I cannot complain.  I was so excited to have my bike back that I went for a ride at 12:30 pm this afternoon.  Usually I do my bike adventures early in the morning, but I made an exception today.

The new tires are quieter than the old ones,  but it is still my same old dependable bike.

I am hoping it does not rain tomorrow, I would love to go for a long bike ride followed by a nice swim.  We'll see how it goes.

Swansboro, NC Oyster Roast

As a newcomer I had little idea of what to expect at the 27th Annual Oyster Roast which was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Swansboro and took place recently on March 17th.  The only warning I had gotten from colleagues was that there would be a crowd.  I was beginning to think of the Oyster Roast as some sort of initiation that new members of the community have to go through blind folded.  Hearing that it was also called the Swansboro Cotillion only added to the confusion.  The last time I checked a cotillion was "A ball at which young ladies are presented to society."  What in the world could that have to do with Steamed Oysters?

I decided to show at 5:15 PM which is a time that I thought was pretty early for dinner.  Somehow I was not surprised to find a long line of happy people snaking its way through the parking lot of the Civic Center.  It was a little chilly in line, and some of the ladies were working hard to move it in the direction of the sun, but it soon began moving swiftly.  As I already had a ticket, I got my green wrist ban and immediately saw this room filled with strange tables with people already crowed around them and occasionally cheering.

As a newcomer I had a lot of freedom to move around the tables.  The first thing I figured out was that in order to participate in the fun you needed a tool and something to protect your hands.  Fortunately there was a contingency plan for this situation.  Two gentlemen from Sneads Ferry were selling Oyster Knives and towels that conveniently took a five dollar bill.  I bought my equipment and started searching for a spot to stand at a table.  It did not take me long to figure out that there were no spots.  It seemed the first wave of Oyster eaters were still hungry and guarding their prime spots.  I did discover that the cheering alternated between excitement at actually getting Oysters or trying to convince the runner that you were more deserving than the next table.

Finding the steamer tables full required only a slight change in tactics.  I decided to take advantage of the Fried Flounder, Barbecue, Slaw, and Chowder buffet line.  I got a plate which was filled rather quickly.  In fact there was no room for a Hot Dog or Chowder.  After finding a beverage, I took a seat at one of the many long tables in the hall.  The Flounder very lightly breaded and fried perfectly. I thought to myself that I needed to check out these expert Flounder Fryers before I left.  The Barbecue was also good but not quite as good as the fresh out of the cooker Barbecue I had found at the Emerald Isle Saint Patrick's Day Festival.  Still the plate food at the Oyster Roast was delicious.  However, I wisely decided that the real treasure of the sea was waiting for me back in the Oyster Hall.

On the way back I decided to take a look at the behind the scenes operation. As I surveyed the scene outside the building, I was awestruck by the size of the operation. First there were the cement mixer-like machines which washed the Oysters before their trip to the rows of steamers, then the Steamed Oysters went to buckets for delivery to the tables.  At the tables the Oysters once stripped of their treasure were pushed down a chute in the middle of the table which landed them in a trash can which came back to be emptied into a front end loader which placed the empty shells in a dump truck for a trip back to the water. 

After figuring out the Oyster Roast operation I watched almost mesmerized as the well practiced Fish Fryers took fresh Flounder, rolled it in batter, and quickly turned it into a delicious fried treat.  I struck up a conversation with the Hush Puppy Man who seemed to be dropping them in the oil to a tune playing in his head.  He confirmed that having rhythm was important to a good hush puppy.  After snapping some more pictures of the operation, I decided it was time to enter the fray and not give up until I found a spot at a table.

It did not take long to find a spot as some of the early eaters were reaching their limits.  I found a spot by someone native to Swansboro who had driven 120 miles from Lumberton to be a guide for his daughter and son-in-law's first Oyster Roast.  It turned out to be a fortuitous spot since I was able to also learn at the side of a master Oyster Eater.  When I got to the table it was just finishing up a batch.  We only had to endure a few steaming buckets bypassing us before we got a huge dose of hot Oysters.  I was told to start work on the hinge if possible.  It did not take long to pry out several of the treasures. 

Most people were dipping them in butter or sauces that they had concocted.  However, I thought the perfectly salty Oysters were great straight from the shell without any additional flavoring. I even ate from a neighboring shucker was found a particularly huge one that was more than he wanted to tackle. I do not think that I have ever had Oysters this plump and juicy.  I took advantage of one piece of sage advice from the Oyster Master next to me.  When I got to point of thinking I could eat just one more, I stopped before I ate the one more.  It was very good advice.  With a belly full of Oysters, I could only manage to listen to the music from afar since there was a sunset about to happen on the White Oak, and it was calling me.  I never did get a beer.  I guess that will have to wait.

I know one thing I will be back next year, and I will have a team of Oyster Eaters with me, ready to capture our own table.  I am already looking forward to it.  If you would like a full tour of the event check out the website of pictures I put up.

My favorite TV show

My favorite show on television deals with the antics of Crane, Poole, and Schmidt.  The show, "Boston Legal," is such a trip in the wacky world of the characters that I feel properly prepared for the next day's real news. 

Trying to believe what happens on Boston Legal might be possible helps me to understand such improbabilities as our representative actually coming up with lobby reform or even our government run by the oil men for the oil men launching meaningful investigations into fuel price gouging.

"The Lobbyist Empowerment Act," editorial by the New York Times has this to say.

The House Republican leaders managed a new feat of cravenness during the recent recess, hollowing out their long promised "lobbying reform" bill to meet the dictates of — who else? — Washington's power lobbyists.

During two weeks of supposed inactivity, the leadership bill was chiseled down at the behest of K Street to an Orwellian shell of righteous platitudes about transparency and integrity. The measure to be debated this week has been stripped of provisions to require full disclosure of lobbyists' campaign fund-raising powers and V.I.P. access in Congress. The measure buries all attempts at instituting credible ethics enforcement in the House.

It's hard to say much more than that, but the Washington Post comes up with some good text in their article, "Sham Lobbying Reform."

If the Senate-passed measure was a disappointment, the House version is simply a joke -- or, more accurately, a ruse aimed at convincing what the leaders must believe is a doltish public that the House has done something to clean up Washington.

Why we would expect lobbying reform out of this group of representatives is beyond me.  They've ignored investigating a war that didn't need to happen, and they continue to spend money like there is no tomorrow.  It's almost like they're addicted to spending money.

Maureen Dowd penned another of her colorful commentaries on the situation this morning.  Her article, "A Prius in Every Pot," is almost as good as a dose of Boston Legal.

Gasoline prices may be hurting average folks, but the oilers who helped put the Boy King and the Duke of Halliburton in office with lavish donations are enjoying record profits and breathtaking bonuses.

The Oilmen in the Oval, incompetent in so many ways, have brilliantly achieved one of their main objectives: boosting the fortunes of the oil industry and the people who run it.

All those secret meetings the vice president had back in 2001, letting the energy and oil big shots help write our energy policy — one that urged more oil and gas drilling — worked like a charm. In all their years in government, Mr. Cheney and the Bushes have never done anything to hold the oil companies' feet to the fire, or get Americans' feet off the gas pedal.

As Representative James Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina, noted, "The Republicans are the party with the keys to the executive washrooms of Halliburton, Exxon and the big oil corporations."

I suspect we'll see some tough measures for the oil men from this administration about the time Denny Crane on Boston Legal decides that he needs to act normally.  Considering he managed to shoot his therapist twice in the last episode including once while the therapist was on the witness stand in court, I doubt the oil executives have much to worry about from the current administration.  After all why would they bite the hand that feeds them.