February 2010

Dear Client,

We had a 4 hour power outage recently that we covered using our generators. There was a minor cutover problem with our servers when we went back to line power that we took care of in a few minutes. Last night (Jan 31 st) we noticed a sluggishness in our connection and had Qwest take down the line for a few minutes for testing. No trouble found and the problem hasn’t recurred, so it must have been a minor issue. Still looking for the cause of it though.

This last month saw the release of Apple’s iPad. Amusing, as we’ve been using a product (router/firewall) called the Ipad since 1995. We still have 2 in use and are very happy with them. Looks like that name has a lot of usage in the computer world, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out in terms of product confusion (and possible lawsuits).

The rains kicked our butts here as well. No power loss during the drenching, but they did create a couple of short outages with our Internet connection. Qwest found where the water got in and weatherproofed those junction points. The good news is the amount of rain we got replenished parched reservoirs in Northern Arizona so we’re in good shape now for a while. These storms set records throughout the state. Some areas east of Flagstaff had over 60” of snow in 1-2 days. Sounds like Buffalo, NY.

There continues to be a lot of litigation regarding our rights regarding the Internet and freedom in general. I’d had high hopes when Obama took office that someone who taught constitutional law would have a better understanding of the limits of government. Apparently the incestuous relationship that has developed between phone companies and various departments of the executive branch have more weight than even Obama can buck. That’s unfortunate as I’d hoped he would reverse some of the more egregious directions Bush established for wholesale violation of our rights against unreasonable search. (For those unaware, all phone companies now turn over every call you make to the intelligence community. In addition, according to Inspector General reviews, the FBI illegally obtained tens of thousands of private records on individuals in direct violation of the law. J. Edgar Hoover lives on, after all.)

On a more personal note, the extended rains have had a great effect on our garden. Spinach is up and growing, as are carrots, scallions, radishes, lettuce (3 types), cilantro, and blueberry bushes. We also planted potatoes, started an asparagus bed, and put in several more vegetables that I can’t recall at the moment.

To keep the garden from getting ravaged by rabbits, I continue to keep watch and take out those I find. What I’m seeing though is I’m just culling the dumb ones. What’s left are much better educated. I may have to go out in disguise. Dang.

Sincerely,

Ben Conner