Sorry no pictures with this post. The combination of the snow storm we got Wednesday into Thursday, the unreliable internet and the fact that I got called into work for the rest of the week now has left me way behind in the posting department.
Interestingly enough the snow storm and the internet issue are both good examples of the decline I often attempt to chronicle. The snowstorm because of the complete lack of government response and how issues like were witnessed yesterday will become more and more common and the internet because I have recently found out our only provider is considering abandoning the lines out this far due to lack of customers.
I was told just today by someone who lives only a little further out than the Small-Hold that their internet was in fact shut off and they were told it was no longer available in their area. Just not enough money in it. This makes sense because when we were finally given actual service above dial up out here the internet was actually quite good and stable but as time goes by it increasing becomes less reliable more than likely due to lack of maintenance.
Remember at the edges then being sucked inward like a tide coming in around a sand castle.
As far as the Snow storm well Thursday morning was a joke. When I left the Small-Hold to head to work at 5:30 in the morning I saw not one plow on the road. Cars were off all over and I even witnessed one SUV fishtail out of control, roll over and come to rest against the wall of a rock cut on my trip in.
Despite the fact that MoDot actually has a larger operating budget than ever even though they did not get their massive tax they were hoping for they are claiming no money. Why? Well my guess is too much money being diverted to pensions but I am sure their are other theories out there.
This type of thing will only get worse as this slide continues.
But remember when you are stuck in the snow. They earned it.
Anyway I am beat from working a 12 hour shift today and I still have two more to go this week. It means a bit of overtime so I can't pass it up but it also means I am behind on the blog and visiting all my favorite blogs as well.
I will get caught up soon I promise!!!
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!
I spent the day getting ready for the snow but it was sunny and warm here. You are lucky that you got the internet at all, they wouldn't ever run the wire out where we live and eventually they let the phone lines get so bad that we couldn't use them for voice much less dialup. That was the point when I realized that we were in the 3rd world in many ways out here. The money areas of the state are booming but then it is islands of government and college money. I had to put up a wooden pole on the hill to mount a special antenna to get internet from a tower on the blue ridge mountains, the rich boys would bad mouth the speed but it is way faster than any wired ISP if it was available. I made my own long range TV antenna and put it on the same pole.
ReplyDeleteThat was really clever to put the pole in. I would never have thought about that.
DeleteWe have the same internet provider. Went thru a 2 week period with no phone or internet. After speaking with several reps in the 3rd world who only read their script I asked to speak to someone on the same continent where I lived. Got a nice guy in Orlando. Said to 1. call early in AM and when they don't show call back same day as soon as appointment time passes. 2. When they start the song and dance about won't install new line more than 1,000 feet from main box mention "my next call is to the state communication commission". 3. These guys are union and get paid whether you have service or not. 4.They don't get out of their truck to open a gate. 5.They and buddies will sabotage your line if they leave perturbed. I followed one around for half a day until they got ours repaired. He left friendly with a cold bottle of water and assured I was a loyal supporter of the "working man" but I had to bring out the "old fifth teacher stern attitude to get his attention". Peg in FL
ReplyDeleteOur supplier put a new cell tower in the middle of town that looks like deformed penis; just so the dead spot on the highway went away. Then they tied the tower into the fiber line. Ever since everyone around here's internet has been slow and spotty. I talked to the tech and he told me the tower would have preference on band width. So too many cell calls means no internet. The whole community signed a petition to block the tower but evidently cell usage of highway users is more important than a rural communities internet.
ReplyDeleteExile1981
What bad news about your internet connections. The French government has promised to get internet connections to all rural communities soon, but we already lucky enough to have a reasonable internet service. Hope you are able to keep yours......
ReplyDeletethe Welsh government is fighting the powers that be in London for better internet in the rural areas, mine isnt too bad normally although some days it just whirs round trying to connect, and other times its just drops off, I just go and do something else :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you are okay. Ironic that in this communication and connected age the ability to use a cell phone is not seen as nearly important.
ReplyDeletePP
ReplyDeletewill you be able to do what s f did with an antenna and still get service?
our gov't. is complete shit. not even a promise for decent service.
Here in rural Saskatchewan we had to go to satellite or stay with verryy slow dial up. the satellite is almost as fast as a dead turtle, just imagine how fast our dial up was!
ReplyDeleteWe are having a snow storm now. Not my favorite thing but it is pretty to look at.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was actually sunny and warm for us, wow! What a difference a day makes. We are getting hammered with this storm and lots of Ice. Eveey time I turn around they keep tweaking the forcast..I have decided weathermen have no clue sometimes....
ReplyDeleteWet rainy ice here this AM. Kind that drops tree limbs. Not going to be fun.
ReplyDeleteI had a post a long time ago about ghosts towns in Argentina created when they cut off train service to outlying towns: same deal.
Our service is fair and is about as fast as a tin can with a string but it is better than going to town and sitting in the freezing car to hop onto someone's open wi-fi connection.
ReplyDeleteBe safe. Not worth driving with all the crazies on the road in bad conditions.
We have good Internet here, as good as in some major towns but then the local mp (government official) who was in charge of rural broadband used to live down the road so I'm sure that helped!
ReplyDeletePP,
ReplyDeleteWorking in this weather is no fun. Stay safe, warm, and watch out for those who don't know how to drive in the snow :-)