On things that aren't astronomy

So as Steinn points out, this has been a pretty rough day for astronomers. The program I helped propose for and pitch for several years to get images of compact groups of galaxies like this one makes use of the ACS, and it looks like that program will be significantly altered, if not killed altogether.

So I should have something profound to say about Hubble, but instead, I want to rail against Comcast some more. See, I have my priorities straight!

Anyway, I checked out at least one alternative and although it sounds pretty promising, it is a bit more expensive than Comcast for internet, so I'm not going to switch unless I get extremely fed up with my least favorite company of the moment.

I was excited to see that the CDT had a story about the expansion of C-Cor and D&E. I was hoping they would point out how people are starving for a lower cost alternative to Comcast, but no such luck. So I'll say it. Please, D&E or any other cable company out there -- come in to State College (not just the Boro!), provide good service at a decent rate and people will love you and shower you with money.

In a bit of irony, while moving my files from the old G4 to the MBP, I found a letter I had written to Adelphia when they took over from AT&T -- that switch didn't go so well, either. The letter was mostly concerned with how uncommunicative they were (I had tried calling and emailing and got nowhere), but I don't remember them jacking up our rates (and didn't complain about it in the letter).

For now, I still haven't changed anything, but I'm still on the lookout for anything that's better than Comcast.