(no subject)

RCN is teetering on the brink of strike three, after misdiagnosing/mishandling my current cable problems twice in the last week. (I've actually been having cable problems for at least two weeks, but I my reluctance to talk to tech support drones slows my hand. This is because I don't like being told to restart my computer when I know that won't fix anything, because it's not a Windows machine. But I do it anyway, because I'm not going to try to argue these hardworking people into abandoning their scripts, nor am I about to lie to them about restarting. Blah.) Technician showed up this morning, spoke in a clueful fashion about the nature of my "flapping" connection (their word), and said that a specialized repair truck was en route. Truck came, connection came up! Truck left, so did connection. And that is why I'm posting this from the café. I didn't speak to the truck or its occupants, so I dunno if perhaps they plan on returning, but if my modem's CABLE light is still dark by this evening, that's that for that.

Speakeasy website sez that my address is good for their DSL service, but I'm skeptical, after my bad deal at 15 Highland (which brings up more embarrassed memories than anything; I'm sure I'm still on file in Speakeasy's tech support notes as being the world's whiniest little bitch) and then the failure to get the service even installed at Minas Morgul. I also know of one or two fellow Somervudlians who are former Speakeasy customer/victims. On the other hand, it has worked flawlessly for several months at the House of Roses, just up the street. The hell? Well, we'll see.

Trouble: unless they've changed their policies for the worse, Speakeasy sells static IP addresses and allows customers to run whatever network services they'd like. And that means I'd need to get a server to keep in my house. At that means getting a G5. O dread. Way too much computer than I need, but: I'm sure I'd find something interesting to do with it. Ohhhh yes.

Saw a G5 yesterday, walking past the Apple store. It was on a rotating pedestal, gleaming white. Overproduced. Walked past because I parked my car there, because parking at the Museum of Science was full. Tried to park at the museum because colorwheel, mattrolls and I went to go attend its Mars star party. This went very well; was worth it just for the nice view of Boston and the Charles River from the roof of the MoS garage.

On the roof were many amateur telescope setups manned by hobbyist astronomers, a line of patient planet-peepers queued up behind each. We looked at Mars in a couple of these. These little 'scopes were good enough to resolve a blurry, rust-colored disc, with some dark smudges, and what might have been either an ice cap, or wishful thinking. A very long line held folks waiting to use big telescope in the museum's rooftop observatory (which was about the same size and shape as UMaine's). We didn't bother to do that.

Many hundreds of people on the roof! The ol' red planet hid behind thick clouds for a while, then elicited much applause and cheering when it came back out again. Experiencing that was worth the trip.

Gotta go now. There's some hipster-single-parent lunch thing going on now, and the whole cafe smells like Baby.