Community Property

I know it's not proper and all, but I was "borrowing" my neighbors internet connection using my wireless laptop for the longest time. Well, somehow they found out probably because I was doing some downloading and caused a slow connection on their side. (My guess...) So they password-protected it and now I can't use it at all. Surely, I deserved that but the cable internet in our city costs too much, they seduce you with the $19.95 for the first three months, but afterwards, they raise it to $42.95 per month. I find that outrageous.

I don't have a home phone. I had that but nobody calls me except telemarketers, so I canceled it. I have a cell phone and it does just fine. But then I won't be able to get DSL or dial-up. In our city we have a monopolizing situation with our cable company. I'm paying nearly $100 a month with my digital cable TV subscription with HBO, and adding on another $19.95 or $42.95 per month for the net would just be too much. I don't know exactly how I can afford all this. Ever since Sex and the City is over, I don't find HBO that essential anymore. Bill Mayer and Carnivale is nice but they are only seasonal. The other shows are really not that great; Bravo is free and I like it so much better than HBO.

The city was planning to get itself to be one of those cyber city, where you can access the internet everywhere given your computer has wireless access capability. They had been saying that for over a year now, but we don't see anything happening yet. To complicate the matter more, the city is also actively attracting the major cable company mentioned above to move its headquarters here, they are building their headquarters as we speak. According to the city, it will attract business and revenues. But if they do have their headquarters here, I doubt that they will proceed with their plan of making the city wireless. The cable company will lose a whole lot of income, we are talking about $43 per month per household, it is in no way a small sum. On top of that they are using their Cable TV business to produce bad press for DSL and DirectTV services. Every time I see their commercials, which is often, is like watching those degrading political campaign commercial during election period. So low-class and annoying... I wish they would have more competitors to drive down the price.

So here I am dragging my laptop in the rain looking for a coffee shop with internet access so I can have free service again. I did sign up for the cable internet thing but they will have to ship me a router or something so I can hook it up myself and of course... They charged me for the router, and if I can't put it together myself and need to call them, I'll have to pay an additional $50, if someone needs to come to my place and do it for me it'll be another $50. Comcast is too outrageous!!! There, I said it!!! (exhale)