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    Donal's picture

    I Want My Cable TV

    By Donal on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 8:49am | Sports

    Comcast/Xfinity still hasn't restored my TV, Internet and Phone, so I can't watch the US Open. Mind you, I'm extremely grateful to not have been killed by a tree branch, to not be flooded out, to not be without power, but I would have liked to see a few matches before Labor Day weekend, when I'll be limited to whatever they show on the major networks. I looked at the Comcast forums (on the office computer), and customers there are cursing a blue streak - threatening to leave for Dish or Verizon, expecting fee reductions, etc. People aren't used to disruptions.

    MTA is still clearing tree branches from the tracks so the light rail isn't running in my part of town. Shuttle buses always run late, so I've decided to drive in for two days and pay for parking. Meanwhile, Baltimore decided that Downtown & Inner Harbor was the perfect place for a Formula One Grand Prix race over Labor Day weekend, so they've been gradually shutting down roads in the area. BTW, they claim this will be the first carbon neutral auto race. By Thursday, I won't be able to drive to work, so I hope light rail is back in service. Otherwise I'll be biking the whole way among pissed-off drivers.

    I looked up the US Open first round scores from last night. I was concerned that Petra Kvitova hadn't shown much since winning Wimbledon, and sure enough Alexandra Dulgheru beat her 7-6 6-3 in the first round.

    The oddest thing, though, is that three players, Kei Nishikori, Misaki Doi, and Ayumi Morita, retired during their first round matches. I'm guessing they've been on tour, far from Fukushima. Kimiko Date-Krumm plays today.

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    Comments

    So how are you getting online if cable is down?  Wireless?

    Locally cable and phones use same infrastructure so usually if cable is down so is broadband and vice versa.  


    by EmmaZahn on Tue, 08/30/2011 - 6:54pm

    Unlike Comcast, my office's internet and phone service has not been affected.


    by Donal on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 7:51am

    Comcast was down in Miami for weeks after Wilma, and when it was restored, it was unreliable for about a year, so we ended up getting DSL as a backup for net access. Bitter complaints were treated with denial.


    by Rootman on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 8:01am

    Not what I wanted to hear. I was hoping things would be back to normal after Labor day.


    by Donal on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 9:18am

    Comcast is back. The shuttle dropped me off near the light rail station, and I saw that the traffic lights were working, so I wasn't entirely surprised when I got a dialtone on the phone.

    Good match between Isner and Baghdatis.


    by Donal on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 7:31pm

    Comcast went off again at 6 AM the following morning. I just got back from Labor Day weekend, and it seems to be working again.


    by Donal on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 12:27pm