Read this, then this, and finally this, but especially be sure to read this.

I for one will be anxious on the tenth.  I love it. 

It has made me too jittery to think straight.  This dropping-DSL, which has been down for days on end, coming up for 30 minutes or an hour a day, has made me link-light crazy, watching the router nervously for the fatal wink-out of the WAN link indicator.  I'm getting an ulcer. 

Current connection condition as follows (as obtained from DSL reports)

...to New Jersey:
** Speed 1294(down)/442(up) kbps **
(At least 25 times faster than a 56k modem)
Logging result
Finish.

...to San Jose:
** Speed 274(down)/436(up) kbps **
(At least 5 times faster than a 56k modem)
Logging result
Finish.

..to Los Angeles:
** Speed 545(down)/438(up) kbps **
(At least 10 times faster than a 56k modem)
Logging result
Finish.

I don't know what is up with the San Jose test results -- the upload is faster than the download. But if it is connected at all lately, all I can say is 'tsawright. 

The DSL offerings out there are pretty awful.  WorldCom, despite their website propaganda, can't do anything for a Rhythms customer 'cept sell'em a new line.  No assumption of 'customer care' going on there.  Or maybe it is just an unscrupulous sales staff trying to maximize commissions -- the American way.  They want to discard the present connection, hardware and all, and have Covad install everything new.  Such an encouragingly inefficient business practice for lean times -- maximize cash flow without regard for the rest. 

I'm in a bad mood.

They want $150 per month for a 128kbps line (Synchronous DSL -- 128k both ways).  This price means nothing to me since I have not spent a cent on my present line.  But the service I signed up for was ADSL (Asynchronous) which for most of its life has provided me with 1.5Mbps downstream and 300+ kbps upstream.  The price for that was $49.95 a month.  Hmmm.  I think there is some shopping to be done here -- or maybe some strong words to be shared with WorldCom, like... well, I don't know exactly what they are yet.  But I'll let you know. 

No blog entries because DSL has been down.  Going down again any second, I am sure.  Just wanted to say hi.

Doesn't it just figure; I finally got a decent connection soze I can blog, and I gotta go to bed.  Fuckin' thing will be down in the morning, I just know it. 

On the other hand, it is 5 AM... 

Good night. 

This explains part of the story about my phantom DSL provider.  The line was (again) down most of the day, coming up for about a half hour every three hours, finally coming back up and staying at about 2:30 this AM. 

All is not hopeless.  WorldCom is buying Rhythms, or at least they're buying that group of access rights for Central Offices which include the CO for my particular line.  Maybe WorldCom will take me under their wing and send me a bill for this DSL.  Then at least I will know who to call when it goes down, or slows down.  Gawd, I can't imagine calling somebody just to tell them my bandwidth is drooping when I've lately gotten used to being wonderfully grateful just for having a connection. 

You know, when you really look at a person, you see them.  I said somewhere once this guy was 'way cute,' and he is.  But he's a whole hell of a lot more; he's a whole human being for one thing -- including of course all the appropriate appendages (not that I know personally -- just surmizing).  But he's also got a voice, and he's got a brain, and the scariest thing of all for me is that Mays has got a heart.  Not that I know personally -- just surmizing... 

Check out his blog entry for .:: Saturday :: September 22 :: 2001 ::..  There's pics.  If you look at them, maybe you won't see a person, maybe you'll just see a picture.  I saw a person, and I'm right back where I was running from: I'm afraid.

I'm not afraid of pictures. 

PS:  I really can't believe that Mays is only 5'2" like he says.

PPS: He is not a child, as his appearance (at a stretch) suggests to some people.  He is a grown adult.  Once he even got laid-off from an adult-type job.  So there.