AND… WE’RE BACK!

tacky-tv

What an ordeal.

Once Verizon bumped off its FIOS service to Frontier Communications on April Fool’s Day (appropriately enough) stuff happened.

We started hearing an unidentifiable *beep* from somewhere in the house, but it was of such short duration we couldn’t pinpoint the source. We timed it, and the missus and I positioned ourselves in various spots every 15 minutes attempting to triangulate it with no luck. We were hunting for an electronic cricket and after unplugging/dismantling every thing we knew that could beep, it kept recurring.  We thought we we’d been pranked by a friend, cursed him while searching likely spots he might have hidden a quarter-sized “beeper.” No dice.

On a whim I opened up the FAU closet and found the culprit. There was the Verizon FIOS equipment, and every 15 minutes it was telling us that its backup battery was dead. Bastards.

BEEP

So I reset the alarm, yanked the battery. Silence for 24 hours, and then it began again – every fifteen minutes.  Hitting the reset button daily was a temporary solution, but we could finally get some sleep without that infernal beeping.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence, that I’d only imagined that the Utoobage was stuttering. Nah.

Then BAM.

Nine days later, our landline and internest access crapped out. The landline came back, but internet access and WIFI was dead. I called Frontier Communications. Technicians would be out the following day between 8AM and 6PM (a tight window) so I took the following day off without pay, as did the Frontier Communications techs who didn’t bother to show up or call to cancel the appointment.

Buh-bye, Frontier Communications.

NO FC

Time Warner Cable has been deluged with calls from disgruntled Verizon / Frontier Communications subscribers to set up new services, so we waited it out.  Three “appointments” later, Time Warner Cable finally came through this morning.

I never realized how much we depend on internest access, and having to watch TV only added to the torture. Instead, I watched “End Of The Century” and “The Imitation Game,” and read Elliot Carson’s excellent book “Joe Rochefort’s War.”

Anyway, we’re back. Thanks for your patience, and we’ll try to make up for lost time.

Bunk

[Related post here, and no, that’s not me in the .gif.]

“Do you have any idea how slow you were going?”

Speed Sloth

[Found somewhere in here.]

Testudinoidealistic Hot Links

Tortoise above the Venetian Lagoon 1555 Melchior Lorck

Occasionally I google three random words just to see what turns up. “John headlight insect” produced this, and I’m going to try it tomorrow.

How to change a lightbulb.

A Fallen TearThe El Dorados [1956 Vee-Jay Records].

A Fallen TearThe Marcels [1961 Colpix Records].

Goetta.

Beep … beep …  beep … THIS equipment is evil.

The Chalk Police have been summoned.

Look out, Cannes. Look out Oscars. There’s an old kid in town.

[Top image from hereMelchoir Lorck‘s “Tortoise above the Venetian Lagoon” 1555].

 

 

Urban Camo

[Click for larger. Images found here.]

Like A Boss – LIVE!

Like A Boss

LOOOOOL!

That’s not a photoshop. This German company sells wearable plush meme pillows, perfect for any occasion, like these:

real_rage_face_comic_meme_guy_plush_cushion_pillow_moodrush

[Found entirely by accident.]

Wannabe Dodge Hemi Van Babe Magnet

Babe Magnet Hemi-Van

This one’s been sitting in our What-To-Do-With-This-File for several years now. It’s way past time we set it free.

All we can guess is that the owner of this black pervo-van knew exactly what he was doing after he re-upholstered the interior and dash with tufted blue and white carpet, installed a wet bar, string lights and a sound system with an 8-track player that plays nothing but Barry White’s Greatest Hits. But even that didn’t get the babes, so he took the obvious next step: GO STEALTH.

[Found here. More Babe Magnets here.]

Boeing 787 Starship

Boeing 787 without interior

Interior of a Boeing 787 without the seats. This is the kind of stuff I dreamed about as a kid, and now it’s come true. [Found here.]

The .Gif Friday Post No. 429 – Manufacturing Matchbox Cars in 1964

MATCHBOX CARS 1

MATCHBOX CARS 2

MATCHBOX CARS 3

MATCHBOX CARS 4

MATCHBOX CARS 5

MATCHBOX CARS 6

MATCHBOX CARS 7

MATCHBOX CARS 8

MATCHBOX CARS 9

MATCHBOX CARS 10

[This collection of .GIFs was found here. More on Matchbox here.]

Another Great Gift Idea: Invisibility Socks

Invisibility Socks

[Found here.]

“Pardon me, Sir. Is this yours? He’s bein’ a dick.”

Racoon and Kitten

[Image found here, h/t coopernumpy.]