Longtime readers have been exposed to my rants about how the telecom and cable industries are trying to turn the internet into a broadcast medium by limiting the upstream bandwidth they provide their subscribers with, this despite the fact that they try and market services like digital telephony and videoconferencing that to one degree or another require upstream bandwidth. A few months ago Verizon announced it would be rolling out new higher-speed data services, and while I was in ‘extended away mode’ during my move to Saratoga Springs, some of the details were announced. $35 a month for 5Mbps down and 2 up is Verizon’s initial offering, with up to 30mpbs down/5 up to come (prices not announced). This is 8x faster upstream than my current time warner account permits, and since you’re reading this weblog, you know how and why I would use the increased upstream bandwidth (the streaming music server would return for example, as would the dedicated NWN server and possibly even and EQ emulator server). This is fantastic news. I’m not in their initial markets but this brings great hope for the future. Oh, and Time Warner? Wake the fuck up and bring me back my upstream, or lose my business, it’s that simple.
Archive for August, 2004
Check out this customizable stamp service - you can use any photo you like and they’ll make a sheet of stamps you can use to send mail in the US. They’re not cheap, at just under $1 a stamp once you factor in shipping, but what a cool idea and well worth the price it seems to me. These would make a good xmas gift for the folks.
News like this really freaks me out. The article covers how a chemical used in the manufacture of teflon which is very likely a carcinogen is in all of our bloodstreams to a troubling level. Did you ever chuckle at the romans, who used lead pipes and drinking vessels and got addle-brained as a result? 1000 years of technological advances and we’re not much better apparently. But hey, go ahead and vote for the republican agenda with it’s preference for reduced government oversight of big business. Who knows what other lovely cocktails they’ll manage to expose us to.
Ok….so maybe I am enjoying 6 weeks off from work a bit too much 
I just got back from a kayaking clinic in western MA at Zoar Outdoors paddling instruction and sales. It was fantastic - I took a 2 day introductory whitewater paddling clinic with Nick. I have 5-6 years of sea kayaking experience and I still felt like a total novice. I only came out of my boat once but there were numerous times where it was a near thing, and while I could paddle in a straight line and turn my boat effectively, some of the other critical skills like leaning and bracing were difficult for me. I want to get a boat and get out on the water and practice now, there’s some moderate whitewater within 10 miles of my new place so my next mission is to find a way to get the boat in and out, which is tough since I don’t yet know a soul up here.
I can’t say enough good things about Zoar - they instructors were great and the whole experience was really really positive.
One aside about Zoar - they’re located on Route 2 in western MA. Driving Route 2 west of them towards NY is fantastic - I intentionally got up at 4:30 AM so I could have the road to myself, and it was one of the best driving experiences I’ve ever had - the road winds itself through the Berkshires and if you have a car that’s fun to drive it’s just an awesome experience. Taking 30MPH turns on the side of a mountain at 75MPH? Get yourself a Mazda 3 and try it, if your sense of fun is similar to mine, you’ll have a grin pasted from ear to ear for the rest of the day.
Hey all,
Yes, I’m back online, been that way for 48 hours, roughly. I’ll get back into the swing of posting shortly, I still have some niggling issues to deal with on the server end plus I am in vacation mode here. Short version of the last 3 weeks - I moved, major hassles including a uhaul truck that wouldn’t start. I unpacked in the sweltering heat, and I went camping on Lake George and once again it poured on us (though for only 1 day of the 5). I’ll get some pictures of the new dwelling and the area up online this week and get back in the posting groove as time permits, which still may be a week or so off due to other vacation plans and the start of the new job.
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