People have DIED for LESS

Oh, if I could kick their collective asses, I would. My cable television and internet has been out ALL day -- on a rainy, dreary, blah holiday Monday.

I get home, finally check the message left on their technical line, and my area's supposedly back in the black. Except me.

So, tech dude's checking my reception remotely, etc, and finally deduces "Oh, you need a new splitter."

Yo, you people just upgraded me last SEPTEMBER. Next thing you know, he's trying to pitch me on paying $24.95 for a new connection in my room. I think NOT.

He tells me to plug the 'net directly into the wall until I can get in to pick myself up a free new splitter then. Fine, I do that. No reception.

"Oh. Unplug your modem for 30 seconds then."

Nothing, nada. Doesn't help.

"Let me retest your building's connection then."

There we fucking go. Brilliant, guy. Check my modem, but not the building. What kind of fuckwits are they hiring these days?

Gawd. I hate incompetence. At least I can take solace in the fact that they've credited me a whopping day's connectivity -- which should amass to the kindly sum of, oh, $2.25, or so, at the month's end.

Nevermind that someone emailed me requesting a resume for an editorial position at a magazine in town today or anything like that. I mean, people don't actually WORK from home. That's just one of those fallacy type things.

I need a beer.