Dear Readers, some of you may have noticed that you had problems logging onto Letter From Elba on Thursday.
(Especially if you are Comcast customers. I think you AT&T and Verizon people were just fine.)
The last three days have been an ordeal of major proportions for me.
I was in Internet Hell. Comcast had inadvertently “flagged” my site and I couldn’t get on myself! I won’t go into the frustrating details and the zillions of calls I had to make to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic to speak with their level 2 Security Assistance Department, but trust me. This was a rare and awful high tech fail.
I had to yell “fire” and put out an S.O.S. to Nick, my son- and more importantly- my IT guy- in Seattle.
After several days when the dust cleared, Comcast finally caught their internal bug that was causing all the grief and fixed it themselves.
But I am still a little unsure if the problem has completely resolved itself, hence today’s post will be published on Thursday.
I was a wreck from all this and I asked Nick if I could get any money back from Comcast. After all, I pay for their services.
Nick laughed. (And it was midnight in Seattle and he had put in a hard day’s work so it must have struck him as really funny.)
“Don’t even go there, Dude. They did this to Face Book and LinkedIn. Do you really think if they couldn’t take them to court, that you can get damages? At least you’re in good company.”
I think my long internet blacklist/whitelist nightmare is over.
See you on Thursday.
Fingers crossed.
Ellen — If only Comcast, or another of the internet providers who provide programming throughout the country, could provide solutions to “…our long national nightmare.”
Alas, the problems that brought the country “…our long national nightmare…” in the era of Watergate or today, in the era of Trump, cannot be solved so easily. As the founding fathers wrote in the Federalist Papers, we need an informed electorate. That will require work and study by all Americans. Whether Americans are ready for that is an open question.
We can only hope.
Thanks, Tom Payne. Isn’t it funny what- and who- we used to consider “our national nightmare?”
Let me get this straight, Jack.
The electorate that voted for Obama twice were “informed”. But that SAME electorate that switched and voted for Trump this time are not.
And, are you trying to tell me that you’re more “informed” than me? That you are so much wiser than me? You’re saying that it’ll “take work and study” by ME to make me as wise as you. I get it….
It’s so easy making the left look foolish!
I love that I have an “equal opportunity” blog, Bernie. Freedom of speech – and of the press- are the keynotes here. It’s the principle that is linchpin of democracy. Thanks for your POV. Keeps me balanced and fair.
National nightmare. As Carl Bernstein might have said (before he met Nora Ephron’s divorce lawyer), “…you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
My political seat belt is fastened. It’s going to continue to be a bumpy ride.
Jack,
You keep talking about a “national nightmare”. Please tell me what national nightmare you speak of?
I’m confused. I’m as happy as can be. I’m sorry you’re that weak and you’re not!
I’m not sure if Jack will see this last comment, Bernie. Let Silence Be Golden.
Ellen,
That’s just what the left wants.
For those that disagree with them to be silent. No more…..
#walkaway
All sides of a question will be considered here, Bernie. But now I’ve got to #walkaway and go out to breakfast. 😊🍳
Ellen, I don’t know how your internet hell turned into a political discussion, but it does point to the use and misuse of the internet. Being cut off is a special place in tech hell as is password hell, but also being flooded by bots and trolls with misinformation designed to promote division and hatred is even worse. To Bernie’s point, during the Obama election years we could be confident that the information we received was based in actual fact (not alternative facts) and we could fairly decide if we agreed or disagreed with what he was saying. In the last election the internet was corrupted by the Russians to create dissent and voter supression. Regardless of your political philosophy, we all must be on the same page to defend and protect our democracy. Then and only then can we have open and civil discourse.
I have a sneaking suspicion that I started it with the Ford clip pardoning Nixon. Who would have thought that he wasn’t our worst president? And you’re absolutely correct. An open and free internet system – free of enemy interference and disruption- is crucial to all our other freedoms. Imagine having to pay user fees every time you wanted to go on- line? Brava, Vivian.
Correct Viv,
How and why Jack turned this into a political discussion is beyond me.
But, for you to believe the so-called Russian interference in the Internet had an effect in the election is simplistic.
So Viv, I have to ask, why didn’t it create dissent and suppress YOUR vote? Are you saying you’re wiser than millions of others?
See you in August….
One more thing, Viv.
How can you be so sure that during the Obama years the information we received was correct?
I’m confused….
I agree with Jack Feldman, we need an informed electorate. So here are some facts:
Unemployment in the U.S. is lower than at any time since it has been recorded.
Help wanted signs are everywhere (unlike during Obama’s reign). Businesses want to hire but can’t find enough qualified candidates.
Black unemployment is down to the lowest level since that info has been recorded.
Hispanic unemployment is down.
Company profits are at record highs.
The stock market has zoomed starting the day after Trump was elected. Coincidence? I think not.
Trump had consensual affairs and was caught talking in a very derogatory way about women. Bill Clinton actually raped women and took advantage of a young intern.
Trump has tried to talk to North Korea to persuade them to stop building nukes.
Obama, in a secret midnight flight, flew $150 billion in cash to bribe Iran, one of the biggest terrorists states in the world, at a time when Iran was desperate due to the sanctions. Talk about treason?
Trump says Israel 🇮🇱 is one of our best allies. Obama tried to interfere with the Israeli election by taking out ads in Israel against Netanyahu.
Trump has a Jewish son in law (and daughter). Obama was a congregant for 20 years, at a virulently anti Semitic, anti white, anti American church.
Despite almost a year and a half of a special prosecutor, no evidence has yet surfaced that Trump colluded or conspired with Russia. Yet this expensive fishing expedition continues.
Hillary Clinton and/or her aides, who destroyed evidence that was subpoenaed (emails, cell phones), are found by the FBI to not having committed crimes. If Jack Feldman, or me or any other of your readers had done what HRC had done, we would be sitting in jail.
I don’t like tariffs and I don’t like Trump’s personality, and I didn’t even vote for him, but if we are suffering through a National nightmare, I’ll take this any day over what the “Resist” crowd has done.
Sorry Ellen, I know you don’t want too much political commentary, but once the door is opened…
I think it’s Bernie, you agree with, Steve. Not Jack. And I knew I opened the door when I chose the Ford clip. That’s okay. Just glad to be up and running again. 😊
My agreement with Jack is that we need an informed electorate. That’s why I gave him and your readers some actual facts to ponder that would lead a reasonable person to believe that there are many good things going on in the U.S. and that the “national nightmare” trope is an extreme point of view which accomplishes nothing.
Correct Steve,
The left is so traumatized by the 2016 election that they can’t think straight.
They keep making excuses for their loss…from Russian collusion to misinformation.
Remember how in the debates of 2012 Romney was chastised by Obama for arguing that Russia was a threat and Obama laughed at him?
The left sure has a short memory!
So sad….
Ellen — my use of the phrase “national nightmare” was a direct quote from the words used by President Ford in your video to describe the conduct of former President Nixon that led to the risk of his impeachment and his ultimate resignation. And the requirement of an informed electorate was the general expectation expressed in the Federalist Papers of what was required of the electorate to make democracy work.
I made no comment about the persons who voted for Barack Obama or for Donald Trump. I have my own view which I have chosen to keep to myself. I have no idea why Bernard Kerman felt the need to attack me but I do resent it.
Happily he is your friend and not mine.
I don’t know why any of you jumped all over Jack and his initial statement, or wasted time by trying to convince us he was wrong by posting additional alternative information, some of which was pretty far off base, if you ask me (Yes, I know you aren’t asking me).
Some of you commented you don’t know how this was turned into a political discussion. One of you blamed Jack for starting it. So, the rest of you just HAD to respond? Really?
Anyway, it was not enjoyable reading for me. I don’t know why the rest of you couldn’t ignore Jack’s initial comment and change the subject back to trials and tribulations with the Internet and our servers. There’s enough arguing about politics on FB for me. I don’t enjoy seeing it here among comments in response to Ellen’s delightful post about “Internet Hell.”
Ellen, your recent experience with the “Internet Hell” sounds like a real nightmare. How frustrating! I’m glad it’s okay for now but I’m really sorry you had to go through this, especially because of your Elba letters. I hope the fix stays fixed. I’ll be looking for your next Elba letter.
Thank you, Susan. This was not supposed to turn into a political discussion. But as Tip O’Neil said, “All politics are local.” Maybe the world we live in now has a low flashpoint and people are so frustrated that they have to vent. In any case, lesson learned. I’m going to pick my clips more judiciously in the future. Whew.
Viva free speech!
Amen.