Gentilly Girl- a part of the 99%

July 31, 2008

My Intertubes Are Getting Tied

I am fucking pissed off.

Tomorrow I will not have internet access for the next eight damn days due to the laws that protect the fuckmook Telecom companies. The State law Act 736 which prevents municipalities from providing their own wireless systems is allowing AT&T to shut down my wireless Broadband that they had been providing here since 2/06. The reason for this is that the law demands parity between wireless systems and the “wired” systems as far as data speed goes. This means that advances in wireless BB technology are useless and cannot compete against the dinosaurs like ComCast, AT&T, Cox and the others. It also prevents dish systems from selling internet services where laws like this are in effect. ( go to Dish Network’s site, and look to see what services they can provide, then click on Looziana for Internet access… it only lists the wired ISPs, not satellite.)

I actually think that those of us who had Bellsouth’s wireless BB in New Orleans should file a Class-Action suit over this stupid law. I was one of the first to get this tech when it started here and I was never informed that this system was “temporary”. I paid $240 for the modem, and all AT&T offered me for the switch-over to their DSL was a free $85 modem. Fuck them. They also wanted $5 more a month for the service. “Free installation” doesn’t cut it in my book. I and the others who used the system have gotten screwed by this shit.

And I am very angry because this “law” is screwing up our ability to operate online during a storm whilst the wired system can be blown down or get flooded. My self-sustainability concept has taken a big hit. Our house can take up to a 9 foot flood, our Solar and  back-up generator will still be working, our cells don’t use towers here (they will function), the house will be stocked up with food and water for at least a month, but if the wired system goes down we are helpless as far as our work and income goes.

Television news will never give us the information we need about what is going on here and in the world. We will just be mushrooms- kept in the dark and fed shit. This is the 21st Century damn it- it is a time when many of us here live by their connection to the world via our ‘puters.  Our connections and jobs are increasingly dependent upon our machines. (The folks who commute burn so much gasoline… we fill up every 2 or 3 weeks. Our carbon footprint is relatively small compared to most of them.) The dream of the Future is being stymied by Dinosaurius Wiredus Telecomus since they want to keep making huge profits whilst providing an inferior product. The advance of technology spells their extinction and they are fighting tooth and nail to prevent that. This is completely wrong and evil.

It is time to slay the Beast. To advance all of our Natural Rights to move forward as Homo Futurus even if it means they die off.

It’s about moving into the Future. To grow and “become”.

Yes, I’m greatly fucking pissed off. To the Telecoms, “Fuck You You Fucking Fucks”. Our day is coming and you will be destroyed.

So mote it be.

Note- Due to the need to keep shuffling my online stored info into safe places, I don’t have time to provide links to the stuffs above. I have 9 hours left to finish organizing and protecting 9+ years of research and contacts in a coherent manner. (I’ll go bat shit insane if I just dump it all in the ‘puter willy-nilly.) When I get back online I’m going to be writing pieces on this topic as often as I can. Death to Dinosaurius Wiredus Telecomus! Death I say!

BTW- Comment moderation is in effect here. I won’t be able to approve them until next week, but please feel free to leave comments. I would like to know what you think about this situation.

‘Til then, have a Blessed week Gentle Readers. I go now to have my Intertubes tied. Fuck!

5 Comments »

  1. I feel for you sweetie! Being w/o internet, esp. in this day and age (and considering it’s some people’s, such as yourselves’, living), it’s insane having restrictions placed on this. We’ll be waiting for your return, sweetie.

    Give ‘em hell! Or … to paraphrase “Fucking the Fuckin’ Fucks!”

    Comment by Vanessa Edwards Foster — July 31, 2008 @ 6:42 pm

  2. Oh! Hugs friend!!! I have had my Sprint wireless broadband card for almost a year now. I love it. And it really has proven itself since I finally dove into the laptop pool a month or two ago!
    It’s a touch pricey, but it’s my only connectivity now. I can put it on my desktop (which is how I got along until investing in my lappy), or on here and motor. It’s unlimited and has really done a great job.
    My sympathies for a backwards-ass tech svcs ‘provider’ – UGH!!! I would go effing bonkers.
    Blessings and I hope the time flies!
    Peace and connectivity vibes being sent your way!
    Elspeth

    Comment by Elspeth Ravenwind — August 1, 2008 @ 12:17 am

  3. It’s 12:15 and I’m still online.

    Maybe I skeered the fuckmooks.

    Comment by Morwen Madrigal — August 1, 2008 @ 12:19 am

  4. BTW- I got a bill for August today.

    They charge my card come the 14th, I’m going to war unless my service continues.

    “Nuff freakin’ said.

    Comment by Morwen Madrigal — August 1, 2008 @ 12:23 am

  5. Do please keep us updated. The thought of being cut off from my Gentilly fix is scary enough, but as I learned the hard way back in April, there are other bloggers…

    The real problem here is the chilling effect this could have on members of the creative class who might be considering relocating to the World’s Most Interesting City. With corporate America having turned its back on the city, such people are our best hope to bring money, connections, etc. into town. Thing is, they pretty much rely on broadband Internet. If they find out they can’t get it, they’ll just settle someplace boring, but with more megabytes.

    I’m no lawyer, but this law sounds suspiciously like “restraint of trade”, as well as possibly infringing on Federal jurisdiction under the Telecom Act. Of course, with the courts the way they arethese days, who knows?

    Comment by KamaAina — August 5, 2008 @ 3:23 pm

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