Have noticed similar thing – mtbf of consumer electronics erratic and worsening. You read my mind about Clear – was about to trek to a Mall and kick the tires.
What provider are you using? I just had Verizon set up another DSL connection for me, and it sucks, and their support sucks. Both have noticeably degraded over the last four years. I’m curious about the Clear option — http://www.clear.com/ — but I’m slightly skittish about getting burned as a (somewhat) early adopter.
Is it just me, or are consumer electronics — solid state, no moving parts — getting **less** reliable? A few months ago my Verizon-supplied wireless hub spontaneously failed, and I simply can’t imagine how that could happen. Cosmic rays?!?!?
@Comment
Finally got the system to recognize the Bunker wireless network again this AM. Apparently, vehement threats to leave consumer electronics in 495 HOV lanes *does* motivate them to behave.
Remember clearly the day firing Verizon. On to cable!
@sglover Agree with you. Dropping cable is moving towards actual planning as the Netflix connection gets tested this weekend and a ‘filler’ app’t with cable company set for of all times, Sunday.
Forgot to mention — Since I haven’t watched much tube, I’ve always drawn a blank when you folks talk about Tweety, Olberman, etc. But when I was on the road and exposed to the idiot box I did make a point of tuning in to Beck’s show, just to see what all the fuss was about. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I ever managed to log more than five minutes of observation time before I became terminally bored. So I’ve never really understood all the lefty hysteria about him.
Hell, I grew up maybe five miles from the Shrine of the Little Flower, former home of Father Charlie Coughlin. In his day Coughlin supposedly had something like a quarter to a third of the American population as his audience. From everything I’ve seen Beck fills the same niche as any infomercial. Christ, I wish your average lefty had a better sense of proportion…..
The last time I watched TeeVee for any length of time was when I was detailed to Michigan. The job had me on the road a lot, and I’d turn on the idiot box before falling asleep in whatever motel I was in. This was after doing without cable & broadcast for some years. I was always surprised at how amazingly shitty TeeVee’s become. I really couldn’t fathom — still can’t — that people actually **pay** for the swill. (Though Turner Classic Movies was a single, welcome exception.)
Netflix over DSL works fine for me. And don’t forget that nowadays other sites carry obscure movies, too. For instance, Mosfilm has essentially made the history of Soviet & Russian cinema available, gratis, here: http://www.cinema.mosfilm.ru/?gmt=240
If I were an investor, I’d dump any shares in any cable company pronto. It’ll be fun watching outfits like Cox circle the bowl.
Eliot Spitzer’s goodbye deserves better than an Olbermann placeholder, but cable tv is a nasty business. Who’s to say if he would have toughed it out had he started the show solo. Never watched the show, but then am gradually abandoning cable altogether. Won’t even bother catching Tweety’s obsession when she debuts. Seriously considering cutting cable service out, using just the Interwebs and Netflix.
@Dr Leo Strauss It’s sort of like mock heroic and bombastic and self consciously so. Reminds us of when Kramer on Seinfeld would pretend to be a doctor or a professor and put on an eye patch and smoke a pipe.
Loved “downtrodden Americans ….”
@Comment Their chat room log was highly entertaining. Hard to say what is what on the anon site as anyone can post to it. Gotta say the bravura style is +1.
The Times seems to have the most balanced summary. We discussed the importance of the new agent to the outcome with a cable tv persona over the weekend in the immediate aftermath. The conversation centered on the fact the new agent would not get anything from KO’s existing contract with MSNBC and would get a cut only from a re-negotiated deal or a deal with a new party. On one level an obvious observation yet on another, insightful. During the talk, several high profile personalities who have come and gone on cable were discussed. In a number of instances, the agent’s role in the outcome (for good or ill) were noted.
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Comment Will activate this weekend and report back. Looking forward to the experiment.
Comment says
@Dr Leo Strauss
Is Netflix worth it?
Dr Leo Strauss says
Oh Netflix, already ordering off the menu and it’s not even our first date.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/12/netflix-dvd-only-unlimited-plan-appears-price-for-streaming-and/
DrLeoStrauss says
Have noticed similar thing – mtbf of consumer electronics erratic and worsening. You read my mind about Clear – was about to trek to a Mall and kick the tires.
sglover says
What provider are you using? I just had Verizon set up another DSL connection for me, and it sucks, and their support sucks. Both have noticeably degraded over the last four years. I’m curious about the Clear option — http://www.clear.com/ — but I’m slightly skittish about getting burned as a (somewhat) early adopter.
Is it just me, or are consumer electronics — solid state, no moving parts — getting **less** reliable? A few months ago my Verizon-supplied wireless hub spontaneously failed, and I simply can’t imagine how that could happen. Cosmic rays?!?!?
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Comment
Finally got the system to recognize the Bunker wireless network again this AM. Apparently, vehement threats to leave consumer electronics in 495 HOV lanes *does* motivate them to behave.
Remember clearly the day firing Verizon. On to cable!
Comment says
@DrLeoStrauss
We’re dropping cable soon – in retrospect, cable free time a couple of yrs ago was bliss. Mind pollution = cable.
Btw – incredibly stupid of Obama to drop the massive leverage the 14th amendment was designed to give him to prevent debt defaults. Just so bad.
DrLeoStrauss says
@sglover Agree with you. Dropping cable is moving towards actual planning as the Netflix connection gets tested this weekend and a ‘filler’ app’t with cable company set for of all times, Sunday.
sglover says
Forgot to mention — Since I haven’t watched much tube, I’ve always drawn a blank when you folks talk about Tweety, Olberman, etc. But when I was on the road and exposed to the idiot box I did make a point of tuning in to Beck’s show, just to see what all the fuss was about. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I ever managed to log more than five minutes of observation time before I became terminally bored. So I’ve never really understood all the lefty hysteria about him.
Hell, I grew up maybe five miles from the Shrine of the Little Flower, former home of Father Charlie Coughlin. In his day Coughlin supposedly had something like a quarter to a third of the American population as his audience. From everything I’ve seen Beck fills the same niche as any infomercial. Christ, I wish your average lefty had a better sense of proportion…..
sglover says
The last time I watched TeeVee for any length of time was when I was detailed to Michigan. The job had me on the road a lot, and I’d turn on the idiot box before falling asleep in whatever motel I was in. This was after doing without cable & broadcast for some years. I was always surprised at how amazingly shitty TeeVee’s become. I really couldn’t fathom — still can’t — that people actually **pay** for the swill. (Though Turner Classic Movies was a single, welcome exception.)
Netflix over DSL works fine for me. And don’t forget that nowadays other sites carry obscure movies, too. For instance, Mosfilm has essentially made the history of Soviet & Russian cinema available, gratis, here: http://www.cinema.mosfilm.ru/?gmt=240
If I were an investor, I’d dump any shares in any cable company pronto. It’ll be fun watching outfits like Cox circle the bowl.
DrLeoStrauss says
Eliot Spitzer’s goodbye deserves better than an Olbermann placeholder, but cable tv is a nasty business. Who’s to say if he would have toughed it out had he started the show solo. Never watched the show, but then am gradually abandoning cable altogether. Won’t even bother catching Tweety’s obsession when she debuts. Seriously considering cutting cable service out, using just the Interwebs and Netflix.
Comment says
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/donald-rumsfeld-email-5292983#ixzz1FEd6u0nF
Comment says
Sony COIN about as promising as AfPak
http://www.crunchgear.com/tag/geohot/
Comment says
You gotta love this voice –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfpehY1_34w&feature=player_embedded
Comment says
“Dear Citizens of the United States of America, It has come to our attention …” lol
DrLeoStrauss says
So about Olbermann’s latest? Have to concede no desire here to click and find out personally.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Early-Reviews-for-Keith-Olbermanns-Fok-News-Channel-7177
Comment says
@Dr Leo Strauss It’s sort of like mock heroic and bombastic and self consciously so. Reminds us of when Kramer on Seinfeld would pretend to be a doctor or a professor and put on an eye patch and smoke a pipe.
Loved “downtrodden Americans ….”
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Comment Their chat room log was highly entertaining. Hard to say what is what on the anon site as anyone can post to it. Gotta say the bravura style is +1.
Comment says
Not sure if it’s intentional or not – but the rhetorical style of Anonymous is often funny.
http://ygl.as/enuG1v
Dr Leo Strauss says
CNN’s response to Olbermann, sad.
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/26/134084247/kathleen-parker-leaving-cnn-show-parker-spitzer?ft=1&f=1001
Dr Leo Strauss says
Of all Olbermann’s many sins, one of the worst? His departure gives Howie Kurtz a platform for more unctuous judgmentalism.
Dr Leo Strauss says
The Times seems to have the most balanced summary. We discussed the importance of the new agent to the outcome with a cable tv persona over the weekend in the immediate aftermath. The conversation centered on the fact the new agent would not get anything from KO’s existing contract with MSNBC and would get a cut only from a re-negotiated deal or a deal with a new party. On one level an obvious observation yet on another, insightful. During the talk, several high profile personalities who have come and gone on cable were discussed. In a number of instances, the agent’s role in the outcome (for good or ill) were noted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/business/media/24olbermann.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all