Earlier this year a professor sent me his collection of 18,000 images of the biblical lands. As I have time, I look through some. In my first pass through, I set Irfanview to advance each one every half second. So I’m watching these pictures fly by, many from different angles than I’m used to, and I’m struck by what is happening. In one half second (or less), my brain is seeing the picture, interpreting it as a certain place and from a certain angle, and then running it against all of my photos of that place and all of the previous photos in this same collection. While I’m marveling over the genius of Mother Evolution that so naturally selected brains like mine can do this, I consider who gets the glory in an evolutionary model. I think actually that I get some of it. I’m part of the chain, and I’ve adapted from what was passed down, and I’ll pass on superior traits (or the heirs will be eliminated). So this made me realize that congratulations are in order. Good job, Todd!
I recently read an outstanding paper on the failures of the Low Chronology proposal of Finkelstein. It was very insightful on a number of archaeological points. One curious note: the guy who wrote it was at IBEX but did not take my OT Archaeology class. Which means that just because you didn’t take the archaeology class either doesn’t mean that one day you won’t end up publishing a paper on it.
This is going to seem most trivial to many, but it’s a minor crisis in my life. I cannot figure out, and no one I have asked seems to know, when I need to dial a 1 before a number and when I cannot. In the DFW area, you always dial the area code. But sometimes you have to dial a 1, and sometimes not. And it absolutely will not work if you do it the other way, and the phone company absolutely will not allow the call to go through, and my phone absolutely requires me to re-dial the entire number (with or without the offending 1). And this whole thing is not area code dependent. Sometimes the 972 area code (which we are in) requires a 1 and sometimes it forbids it. There must be some solution to this ordeal, or I suppose that the whole city would be going mad.
Maybe your area code question is answered somewhere here, I didn’t read through all the FAQ’s…..
http://www.areacode-info.com/headline/1999/tx990116a.htm
I don’t know the technicalities of the area code issue, but both Santa Clarita and Palmdale are in the 661 area code. When I make a call within Santa Clarita, I don’t have to dial 661. But when I make a call to Palmdale, I have to dial 1+661. Your situation’s different in that you have to dial the area code either way, and the 1 is the only difference. So my best uneducated guess is that you’re being required to dial only 972 when calling particular areas (maybe closer to you) but you have to add the 1 when the number is located in other districts that share the area code but are farther away. In the small chance that this is the solution, finding out the specific districts where the 1 is necessary would help at least somewhat. When I see a 661 number but know the resident lives in Palmdale, I dial the area code. When I know they live in Santa Clarita, I don’t.
Wait, you mean you’ve still got a land line?!? ;)
Before we moved to the States, I considered whether to get a landline or cell phone only. We chose a landline and one (rarely used) cell phone (on a shared family plan). That was a good choice for us. I like the fast internet. I like the multiple extensions around the house. I like unlimited calling within the U.S. anytime no cost. I like the price. I would not like talking on the phone to someone and thinking about my minutes ticking away even though they called me.
Gunner – what you describe is what makes sense to me and what I was used to. The problem is that I can’t figure out the logic here. They’re aren’t exactly valleys and dividing ridges. It’s all flat and it all runs together.
Another irritation on the area code issue is that when someone calls, caller id has the number. But it doesn’t include the 1. So I have to write out the number and then re-key it in.
Seems like this should be so simple. And so many things in America are. It really is amazing how developed America is. I just want everything to be simple and easy.
I would think someone would have a map of the area with area codes and indications for when you have to dial what. I’m sure you’ve searched for that online already; maybe your phone company could give you that kind of schematic.
Our phone book has this helpful information:
If the number you are calling is within an overlay area code boundary, you need to dial “1” + area code + number on all long-distance calls.
Whatever that means.
hilarious post on multiple levels…
seriously entertaining…good luck with that :(
No intelligent answers to offer… although I am equally entertained. It looks like your next evolutionary process is to evolve your brain far enough to understand Dallas area codes. Best of luck.
Todd, in a world when you never have to dial a 1+ on a cell phone, it is obvious that the technology exists to route the calls to the appropriate place, even if my 404 (Atlanta) area code phone is in Dallas when someone calls me. Apparently the phone companies are choosing to allow their customers to suffer through the confusion rather than taking the lead from the cell phone industry and implementing the same technology they use.
Andy – this is precisely what I was trying to say!