Getting my life back
Finally got the high-speed Internet I’d been assuming I was on the road to. With the exception of the NYC trip, the last two weeks have been a nightmare. I do believe it is behind me now.
It all got started because Mrs. BN and I decided to join the 21st century and get cell phones. I met with a Verizon rep over coffee one morning and told her that if we were givign up our land line, I’d like to go ahead and be done with the company that had been providing our phone service altogether. That company had been providing us with DSL Internet access as well. She said, “No problem. We’ll fix you up with wireless access that you get with an air card that you stick into your USB port.”
Seemed simple enough. Alas, I spent hours in tech support hell, usually winding up the interlude with the tech support person saying, “Hmmm, I can’t tell you what’s going on. You probably should call the tech support department at the manufacturer of your computer.” (More than once, it involved said person saying, “Mr. Quick, please stop yelling.”) This, after I’d made it clear I had two computers, a desktop and a laptop, both of which were accessing the Net at a crawl.
This morning, I finally busted a move. Took the air card and installation disc back to the Verizon store and said, “We dig the phones, but the Net access ain’t making it.” Then I went to our Comcast office, with which we already deal for our cable TV, and said “Sign me up for the high-speed stuff.” The front-counter gal was nice, but she just basically handed me an installation kit. I explained that I had two computers and she said I’d need to go to Circuit City and buy a router. Did that, came home and started in. The Comcast manual said that I’d need to get a screwdriver and take the cover off my desktop and do something with something called DCI slots or something like that.
I called a buddy of mine who is an IT whiz for a big multinational company and he came by after work. He got it all figured out and I’m doing fine now.
But the whole computer / software industry is in need of massive streamlining. I have to believe that there are a whole herd of folks like me who feel like they’ve been dumped by the raodside in the middle of the desert with a barely readable map and no compass.
I know a lot of bloggers have a lot of skills in that whole area; Little Green Footballs comes to mind as one blog that routinely makes improvements in technical things and explains what has been done for readers.
Me, I’d rather have a syringe full of kerosene injected into my left testicle than deal with that stuff.
Anyway, I have my writing deadlines met for the month, I have good Net access again, I have three gigs this weekend and I’m able to see the possibility of sanity again.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Mr. Queeek, Pleeze stop Yell ing!
June 27th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Wonder if Twain could peg that dialect?
June 28th, 2008 at 1:33 am
A syringe full of kerosene injected into (the) left testicle? Is that method taken directly from the Gitmo files? Why spare the right?
June 28th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
You know I’m gonna spare the right!
June 28th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
That would lend new meaning to right wing nut now, wouldn’t it? Actually it might turn you into Super Bloggie. Why don’t you try it and we’ll see? That kerosene might be the missing link. Mind if I smoke?
A 2006 article claims that Armstrong’s testicular cancer actually helped him during the Tour de France. The article outlines that surgical removal of testicles (even one) re-positions the body’s hormonal system, playing with the feedback system of normal testosterone production. Consequently, a cascade of events which allegedly favor or enhance endurance performance is proposed by the authors. They suggest that the increase in LH to testosterone ratio and the increase in free fatty acid (FFA) to glycogen utilisation ratio which resulted in an increase in power-to-weight ratio (a favourable characteristic for mountain climbing) and a remodeling of type I and type II muscle fibers in Armstrong’s physiology all contributed to his athletic prowess. Another mechanism by which the authors propose that Armstrong obtained and maintained his super physiology was that the altered hormonal state induced an increase in the production of red blood cells.
June 28th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
I dunno, being often accused of being “off task” here, just thought this bit of useless information (except for lawyers) fits here somewhere. Did Spitz have only one testicle?:
Chemist E. H. Bronner has maintained that Mark Spitz was a prophet. He is mentioned in Bronner’s fifth MORAL ABC which appears on each bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap.
Whatever unites mankind is better than whatever divides us! Yet, if absolute-unselfish I am not for me, I’m nothing but classless raceless, starving masses, never free nor brave! Only if constructive-selfish I work hard perfecting first me, like Mark Spitz - Arctic owls - penguin - pilot - cat - swallow - beaver, bee can I teach the MORAL ABC’s ALL-ONE-GOD-FAITH, that lightning-like unites the Human race! For we’re ALL-ONE OR NONE! ALL-ONE! ‘listen children eternal father eternally one!’ EXCEPTIONS ETERNALLY? ABSOLUTE NONE!
Spitz has sued Dr. Bronner’s over this reference.