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Larry the phone guy

    I currently work by day for Dobson Fiber. Dobson provides Fiber internet services and hosted phones. Dobson is based in Oklahoma.

    Dobson acquired Pinnacle Telecommunications in 2021 to extend their reach into Arkansas. Before that, I was a part of Pinnacle.

    Many of the old telephone systems are hardly being supported any more. I have been a Toshiba phone tech for over 10 years. So, part of what I am doing on the side is keeping them running a while longer until they can be replaced.

    Once the move is made, I then offer cabling services to get businesses ready for the new Internet based phones.


What happened to Toshiba?

    They actually quit the phone business. The Surprise announcement was made early 2017 they were shutting down their business phone division. Financial reasons involving project not related to phone system was sited. Mitel bought out parts of it to continue supporting their systems for a limited time. As of October 2019, Toshiba systems officially reached EOL (End of Life).

    It is still possible to get replacement hardware through refurbishing companies to keep most systems running. Expansion is be very limited. There is no way to obtain required licenses to grow the system or use any of it's IP based features.


Don't mind the laughing

The Nun at Hooters

    A nun, badly needing to use to the restroom, walked into a local Hooters. The place was hopping with music and loud conversation and every once in a while the lights would turn off. Each time the lights would go out, the place would erupt into cheers. However, when the revelers saw the nun, the room went dead silent.

    She walked up to the bartender, and asked, "May I please use the restroom? The bartender replied, "OK, but I should warn you that there is a statue of a naked man in there wearing only a fig leaf."

    "Well, in that case I'll just look the other way," said the nun. So, the bartender showed the nun to the back of the restaurant, and she preceded to the restroom.

    After a few minutes, she came back out, and the whole place stopped just long enough to give the nun a loud round of applause.

    She went to the bartender and said, "Sir, I don't understand. Why did they applaud for me just because I went to the restroom?"

    "Well, now they know you're one of us," said the bartender, "Would you like a drink?"

    "But, I still don't understand," said the puzzled nun.

    "You see," laughed the bartender, "every time the fig leaf on the statue is lifted up, the lights go out. Now, how about that drink?"