James Martin 21st Century School

New website for the James Martin 21st Century School has now been released. The goal of the James Martin 21st Century School is to formulate new concepts, policies and technologies that will make the future a better place to be.

See: www.21school.ox.ac.uk

BT are incompetent – now with updates

*start rant*
Well, where to start on this… the crux of it is, BT should have done some connection work back in October before I moved in to a nice new house. They didn’t. They even sent a BT engineer out to wire up the flats in November, who then said “oh, the cables haven’t been pulled through”.

Great. So after numerous calls to BT (and having been cut off more than once by their infernal telephone system) I find the work is scheduled for 11th December.

So we’re closing in on two months late. A few weeks I thought, I can handle that.

Then I find out that the work has now been put back to Jan 15th. Not only is that a stupid amount of time to be without a phoneline, but it ‘may be delayed more’. Plus, I didn’t even get a call from BT, I found out through one of my neighbours!?

I have now been on the phone to BT for an hour, and gone through 5 separate people. I’m apparently going to be called back in 4 hours, but apparently, it could be 24 hours.

To top it all, the customer service representative had the nerve to say ‘thank you for using BT’ before she hung up the phone. If only I could laugh about it, but the fact remains, they’ve got a monopoly. I guess my only other route might be cable, but NTL….. seriously?

*end rant*

*Update*
Well, got a call from BT on saturday, technically a mere 8 hours after their own self imposed 24 hour deadline. And, the person who rang me had no knowledge of the situation, except that there were no further developments. What’s the point in getting a lacky to ring up and attempt to placate me? she couldn’t answer any further questions at all.
Apparently I’m to be rung back today (monday) and to be informed of any developments.

*Update*
I’ve now been rung three times, but three separate people in the past two days, telling me there’s no update. *sigh* – From one extreme to the other..

*Update, finally*
So now, the real person in charge has rung.. who actually could tell me what was going on, and there’s nothing I can do about it. No phoneline till Jan 15th then, and then it may not even happen apparently.

*and more..*
So, BT having told my Neighbour (so no contact for me then?) that the work would be done on the 10th, they didn’t turn up. They delayed till “the end of play on the 11th”.. and guess what.. failed to turn up. There’s now been 7 date changes for this, which according to the woman at BT (the one who spoke to my neighbour mind) it’s the second worst situation she’s seen in 22 years. Oh and the date has changed to the 22nd. *sigh*..

*Oh yes, there’s more* So the 22nd has been and gone. Nope, no phoneline. Something to do with conduits and the council apparently. So now, the 8th date change, is the 29th January. This really has now gone into the realms of stupidity.

*update*
And another phonecall (not from BT, but from my neighbour): Friday apparently. Yeah, right.

*update*
Got another call, from a separate contractor saying they’d come this morning and hook everything up – great I said. Come along , do.
Turn up this morning, and surprise surprise, it sounds like BT haven’t told their OWN subcontractors that they’re still trying to get permission from the council to dig up the pavement. Apparently, the junction box under the pavement is “too busy” and therefore they have to dig up a whole section of road to lay the cable to the next box. But they had to leave me with a glimmer of hope didn’t they? – oh yes, “if we get permission by tommorrow it could get done at the weekend”.
Yep, ok. Thanks. Cheers. Brilliant.

*update*
Well, now they need traffic lights to be booked and permission from Council for Traffic lights. Ho Hum. So, yep, not today (nor indeed yesterday).

*update* I’ve now been told the 5th Feb, as they’ve got to dig up the road. so 10 metres of carriageway, and 20 m of pavement have to be dug up, and traffic lights used.

*update*
So clearly not the 5th feb. Apparently tommorrow, or the next day.

*update* So, subcontractors come on the 13th (after being told they’d be here on the 12th) and now they’ve not got enough cable. *sigh*

*update* It is 15th Feb, and I have a dial tone: It’s only been 81 days since the inital BT engineer visit. ONLY 81.

Snow in central Oxford

The view from my office…

Random You Tube Findings

These are sometimes a little bizarre, yet very effective in their own right..

Imogen Heap – Just For Now (live at Studio 11 103.1FM)

Bobby McFerrin with Richard Bona

Don’t Worry, Be Happy on theremin

Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin (Montreux Jazz Festival 2001)