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RE: TV and Internet
Not correct, thomasmnile. The California Public Utilities Commission regulates traditional wireline telecommunications facilities and services in California and is also the state video franchising authority in California. Your state, OP’s state may or may not.
Regulation of Cable/Satellite Providers
Reread the OP's post. Appears they are referring to their part time residence in Florida. Ultimate regulation of the provider is FCC. In Florida locally, it's the city or county government, and all they do is negotiate franchise agreements which these cable providers or their predecessors (since they have changed hands many times over the year and absorbed by Big Cable). I can tell you from experience ranting to the franchise grantors is a fundamental waste of time. Gotta keep the franchise fees and taxes (state and local) coming. State PSC here does electric utilities (private, not municipally owned), legacy wireline phone companies (who has that?) gas utilites, and pipeline transmission companies. No state oversight that I'm aware of in 5 decades living here.
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thomasmnile
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10/11/22 02:58pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: TV and Internet
Cable providers are regulated by the FCC, not locally. OP: Are you 100% fiber from the street, into your community and to your home? The blinding download speeds advertised by providers are at the ethernet ports on the modem (if so equipped). The WiFi speeds are maybe half or so the 'wired' speed on a good day, and are dependent on how many devices are active within your home. What speeds comes through the wire to the modem are also traffic volume dependent.
By way of example, we have Spectrum, who now touts download speeds "up to" 300 mbps. Haven't seen it yet, we've had 200 mbps service before the upgrade to 300, never saw better than 180-ish at an ethernet port on the router (checked once by a Spectrum tech). Our WiFi speeds (equipment is a Spectrum owned Modem/Router combo) are typically 112-150 mbps down, 8-12 mbps up. WiFi can indeed be glitchy, ours is frequently. However, Spectrum's marketing and disclaimers cover their butts quite thoroughly and the CSR's in their call centers are quick to recite them when you have an Internet problem and they remotely peer into your home setup and pronounce all is well. With Spectrum, their service (in many but not areas) is fiber to the street, coax into our apartment complex, and RG-59 coax (so last century, the complex is nearly 40 years old) into the individual apartments. Better than dialup, but the technology within the buildings will never allow for the full benefit of fiber technology.
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thomasmnile
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10/10/22 05:18pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: The impact of Ian...
Some of the collateral effects of old Ian and the biblical rainfall he visited on much of Central Florida:
Failure of a number of water and sewage infrastructure facilities around the area. The City of Orlando has a restrict water usage order in effect, meaning they pretty much don't want you putting any water down any drain that connects to the sewer system. A 36" sewage force main transporting wastewater from 3 pump stations around the city failed catastrophically early Sunday morning. We experienced an 8" water main and 30" stormwater drain failure directly in front of our apartment Friday night, complete with a car that drove into the hole because the lighting is so dim he couldn't tell what was in front of him; no water geyser.
Given that Florida is fundamentally atop a limestone "sponge" and the subsurface soils are currently like oatmeal (especially the interior), I fear as the groundwater table lowers and things dry out, there's gonna be a whole lot of sinkholes going on.....and more water/sewer/stormwater/ natural gas line failures; or simply the earth moving under our feet.
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thomasmnile
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10/04/22 12:52pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Space Storms Destroy Elon Musk's Starlink Satellites
Space Storms Destroy Elon Musk's Starlink Satellites, and the Problem Is About to Get Worse
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/space-storms-destroy-elon-musk-s-starlink-satellites-and-the-problem-is-about-to-get-worse/ar-AA1203BY?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=21ef2bffd98b4d119b2f195581366a8c
Above article from Entrepreneurial magazine news. Found on Bing news page. Hopefully Musk can solve this problem but how. No control over Sun flares.
Old news.
^^^ This.
It's strange this suddenly became a hot news item. The destruction of the satellites was disclosed by SpaceX less than a month after the launch in early February '22..... and was reported in several media outlets like CNBC, Space.com and ArsTechnica as I recall.
If nothing else, demonstrates how lazy the mass media is.
I'm curious to see how well Starlink at Sea will perform for Royal Caribbean since they announced their entire fleet will be outfitted with Starlink by the first quarter of 2023, replacing their current satellite vendor. Got a couple of cruises booked with them in the coming months to the Caribbean. We shall see..........
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thomasmnile
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09/20/22 10:14am |
Technology Corner
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RE: The Future of Pricing
"In the long run, we are all dead."
~ John Maynard Keynes
No truer words spoken........
For perspective RE: OP's concern. Bought a Jayco WhiteHawk 10 years ago, the particular floorplan was $25K OTD price in 2012.
The current floorplan, though a different designation (still a couples' trailer) has ballooned in both size (a little) and price (a lot!). I looked a year ago for fun, $48K "MSRP".
We are not going back from whence we came........and an RV will still depreciate at breakneck speed.
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thomasmnile
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08/29/22 05:43pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Nascar Follies
A piece of vinyl 5"x2"x.012" thick on the front corners near the wheel openings. Hidden under the exterior vinyl wrap......
To what end(it certainly seemed to help) and talk about premeditated act!!
Noteworthy Hamlin failed pre-qualifying inspection multiple time? Why?
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thomasmnile
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07/26/22 09:09am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Retirement and health care
Medicare Explained By Medicare......Kinda
The link above will provide a Reader's Digest version of Medicare Basics.
Here's a few things you may find useful (my experience) so it's anecdotal.
You must enroll in Medicare within 6 months of your 65th birthday. Medicare eligibility is NOT the same as Social Security's full benefit retirement age, which for anyone born in 1954 or later is 67. Late enrollment in Medicare can cost you dearly from a premium standpoint.
"Original Medicare" is a combination of Part A (hospitalization) and Part B (doctors, lab services, diagnostic services, and durable medical equipment (some but not all). Part A is "no premium" if you have Social Security "work credits", Part B has an annual monthly premium, which can be increased, sometimes significantly as this year's $21 premium increase. As others posted, Original Medicare (Part B) pays 80% of covered charges, you are responsible for the 20%. The Part A hospitalization covers in patient hospitalization costs, with a current deductible of around $1400, per covered event, it is not a calendar year deductible. Important to note: Both Medicare Part A & B deductibles can increase every year.
A "Medigap Policy", AKA Medicare Supplement, covers the 20% of approved charges not covered by Original Medicare. Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies; about a half dozen or so plan options with various premiums and benefits/deductibles.
Original Medicare does not provide drug coverage (except for medications administered in a physician's office). For that, you need a Part D Prescription Drug Plan. Sold by private companies, separate premium, varying benefit levels, an annual deductible and out of pocket co-pays ranging from no charge to a percentage of the negotiated cost of a medication, dependent on the medication "tier" (1 through 5) and if your drug costs place you in the so-called_"donut hole".
Original Medicare has no provider network. You can go to the provider of your choosing as long as they accept Medicare assignment. There is no coverage outside the United States and its territories (except for some very narrow exceptions and they are few). A Medicare Supplement Plan may offer some one time international coverage (the supplement I'm enrolled in provides $50K in coverage).
Medicare Part C or "Advantage Plan is a plan sold and administered by a private insurance company that agrees to administer the plan under Medicare rules. No additional premium, except your Part B premium, which in some plans or depending on economic circumstances may be waived or refunded monthly. Most are operated as an HMO or PPO style delivery system, meaning narrow provider networks, you must have a referral from your primary care physician to see a specialist, you will have copays and annual out of pocket limits to meet. Advantage Plans have prescription drug coverage with prescription copays, but like Part D Prescription Drug Plans, don't have all inclusive drug formularies. Advantage Plans may also offer bells and whistles such as limited vision care, dental benefits, fitness memberships, and monthly allowance for OTC medications.
All in all, a lot to digest, study, and consider before making a decision that works for you and your economic situation. AARP, if you're a member, has some useful information on their website. Good luck.
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thomasmnile
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07/24/22 09:07am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Our trip from BC to Quebec city in our Tesla/[email protected] combo. Pics
Beautiful photos, looks like a great trip and thank God that is a Canada Goose statue. Can you imagine the pile of............otherwise :)
Nice setup as well. Think the NASCAR expression is you're riding high, wide and handsome.
No mechanical issues with the X, drive unit or otherwise?
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thomasmnile
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07/13/22 10:31am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Temp Reg. Question Buying from out of state in California
Current California DMV Temporary Registration info
Believe this is what you're looking for Chill. Note the temporary trip registration has no relationship to California Use & Sales taxes. Another can of worms...........
Only thing to add is you will likely need a DMV office appointment to take care of everything. I did 14 years ago and that was before Covid was invented.
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thomasmnile
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07/06/22 09:08am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Temp Reg. Question Buying from out of state in California
I have had to drive one home without tags several times. You would think as often as this situation happens states would address it in some way.
California did in my situation...... and how! :B
Forward thinking folks, guess they wanted to make sure I didn't get popped for no tag on my trip home. :p
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thomasmnile
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07/06/22 08:10am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Temp Reg. Question Buying from out of state in California
My experience with a private purchase of a fifth wheel in California (Oct 2008):
Drove to suburban San Diego to complete the purchase and bring the trailer back to Florida. The owner accompanied me to the Poway DMV office to complete the sale(he kept his tag as he had a new trailer on order). We did the requisite sale paperwork and I asked the DMV clerk about temporary tag. Was told there is no such thing and when all was said and done, paid $2500 for "use tax", title application, registration and California tag.
When I returned to Florida to apply for Florida registration and title, I was refunded the difference between Florida sales tax I would have paid and the California "use tax" I was charged. And the $230 registration/tag from California was replace with a $56 Florida tag/registration.
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thomasmnile
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07/05/22 04:58pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: SpaceX's Starlink internet authorized for RVs
... the Federal Communications Commission has authorized the company's plan to expand broadband offerings to vehicles in motion.
Comments are worth reading!
SpaceX's Starlink internet authorized for boats, planes and RVs
Recently read a Royal Caribbean ship (Freedom of the Seas) was outfitted with 12 Starlink receivers/antennae as a test. Apparently, a considerable improvement over current shipboard Internet.....
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thomasmnile
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07/02/22 10:22am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Traveling with Propane on
Wasn't a propane fridge but......
For those who can never get enough of "Florida Man" stories.....:E
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thomasmnile
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06/30/22 07:38am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Ford F150 Lightning Started Deliveries
Don’t worry the first year is already sold.
Can’t buy one no matter what the functionality is for this model year.
True dat! Ford stopped taking reservations and orders for F150 Lightning currently.
But I can sell mine, lol.
Or, there will be ready seller in case I want to keep the Cybertruck and sell the F150.:W
Love EV's or not, I believe there is a market out there for what Ford has built. Think Blue Oval brain trust has recognized not a small number of F-150's are pavement princess/grocery getters/urban commuter vehicles. Price? There's more than a few ICE vehicles out there selling in the same range that folks buy without hesitation, for now anyway. The rolling power supply capable of more than charging a cell phone? Forward thinking there. The thing I like most? It's a "familiar" face doesn't look completely like a video game console in the interior.
My hope is the rollout goes more smoothly than the Bronco with the 2.7L Ecoboost featuring catastrophic engine failures that have or could occur in up to 25K units. Since the initial rollout of the completely revamped Explorer Ford has had its problems with new vehicle introductions occasionally. They have a lot riding on the Lightning.
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thomasmnile
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06/06/22 01:23pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Rivan truck tow vehicle
Exclusive of weight, is the Rivian's size and wheelbase somewhere between a Honda Ridgeline and an F-150? Haven't yet seen one in the wild around here.......
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thomasmnile
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05/31/22 08:42am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Decreasing supply of Diesel Fuel and DEF Fluid
Queen,
That has been my observation also. A bunch of 3rd rate news services are trying to blow this up into something and it appears the real news services are slow to bite. We don't have a diesel or def shortage. We have a distribution problem and we have known that for a long time.
Then the Jimmy Haslam testimony to the surface transportation board meeting (that's not Congress). This is the same leadership of the same company that paid an 85 million dollar fine and an even larger settlement to customers it defrauded on fuel pricing 5 or more years ago?
Okay......
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thomasmnile
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05/30/22 08:16am |
Coast to Coast
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