Friday, February 11 2005
“You’re another day older…” (Les Mis, one of my favorite musicals and a really appropriate song for a girl in the projects)
So, Verizon did indeed cancel my order. They say my building has fiber optic phone lines and I need a copper phone line in order to get DSL. I think this is “project discrimination.” I feel the pain of living in a building where most people can’t afford to care about the fabric of their phonewire. I’ve offered to bribe them to get me copper wire. I don’t know how they feel about being bribed, but they are going to check my building just in case they can find me some. I’m still thinking about cable. I have to call Time Warner on Monday. I’m feeling desperate. I really need Internet access. I really love my apartment, which by the way, I found through an online post - Curiosity Jones, if that is your real name, and I don’t want to have to leave my view of the river because I can’t get connected.
It’s Friday night. My grandmother was in a pretty bad bang up car accident yesterday. In typical old lady fashion she blamed the sun for being too damn bright. “I tell you,” she said “the sun can kill you these days.” She didn’t break any bones, have I mentioned that I do believe in miracles, but she’s pretty bruised up. If my grandfather were still alive he would have seen the other car coming. Now I’m trying to convince her that driving might not be the thing to do anymore. But how do you do that, without taking away someone’s last bits of freedom? She loves to go out. I suggested she move into the city. She says she can’t afford it. I understand.
I’m going to have a weekend of enjoyment. I feel I need it. I feel I deserve it. I feel like next week the chaos starts all over again. I was lieing in the “relax” pose in yoga, and for the first time in my yogic experiences, I felt like a heavy weight was crushing my chest as I tried to relax. I couldn’t lift my arms, my legs, even my eyelids. It was so strange.
For a girl whose life seems like a vacation, I’m in need of the real thing.
Posted in seX matters by jamye on 02/11/2005 - 7:21pm
Tell Me You Love Me
February 12th, 2005 at 4:52 pm
Sheesh, with all the geeks you know, J, I’m surprised you didn’t get better advice. Verizon’s explanation sounds as bogus as Bush and his WMD’s.
I cannot imagine that a project does not have copper wiring inside the building, and that it all has been replaced by fiber. It makes no sense economically for Verizon to do that now in a residential building with working class people, many of whom have no computers at all. Also, I have never heard that DSL cannot be delivered by fiber; that is supposed to make it go faster.
In any case, call Verizon and demand to speak with a supervisor. If they still give you trouble, say the two magic phrases: Public Service Commission, and Road Runner.
You can get Road Runner without cable, but it is very expensive, like 60 bucks a month plus tax. If you have Verizon local and long distance their DSL is as low as about $30 a month plus tax.
So let your fingers do the walking - wherever that may be, of course.
February 14th, 2005 at 2:07 am
Poker?? Nevermind…
It is or used to be true that you cannot get dsl through fiber optic lines. I’m suprised your building doesn’t have normal copper lines. It must be fairly new. Verizon is supposed to already have new fiber optic capabilities, but only in some places.
http://newscenter.verizon.com/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=85137
Whatever, if they don’t want me as a customer, I wouldn’t want them as a provider.
February 14th, 2005 at 11:35 am
From a White Paper by Lucent:
“FTTP systems involve the installation of optical fiber from a central point to a termination point either near or at the customer’s home or business.
FTTP systems use Passive Optical Network (PON) technology to deliver optical signals to the end user, via fiber deployment either all the way,
or at some point short of the customer domain. Depending on the termination point, the system can be referred to as an FTTx system, where “x” represents the home, business or curb. The technology promotes speeds of 622 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps (effectively divided by the number of subs supported on a single PON) and can bring high-speed service to homes at a greater distance from a central office (CO) than current broadband alternatives.”
http://www.lucent.com/livelink/0900940380059ffa_White_paper.pdf
I do not believe that Verizon has replaced all the copper pair in these types of residential buildings with fiber. At most there is fiber-to-the-curb. Also, FTTP is very new for Verizon, and has led to many installation problems. See:
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/general/2004/11/22/generalprimemedia_2004_11_22_eng-primemedia_eng-primemedia_142010_4165481335914185682.html?partner=yahoo&referrer=
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2005/02/09/rollout_by_verizon_triggers_concerns/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+–+Business+News
http://telephonyonline.com/fttp/commentary/bellsouth_cox_fttp_021005/
Regardless, any fiber helps deliver faster speeds. So what the Verizon rep told J was garbage.
March 29th, 2005 at 1:26 am
delurking to say hi
March 30th, 2005 at 7:49 am
nice blog and good post