Bent Notes

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.