Various and sundry... (part 1)

[graculus]

Well, if nothing else, my two weeks away from home convinced me I really need to buy a laptop. But before that, I need to replace the white plastic piece of shit BT foisted on me as a router, because I've already had to reboot the damn thing three times today and it also won't recognise a wireless signal when the wireless card is sitting right next to the router itself. Grrr. Anyone had good experiences with a particular make?

I was taking notes, however, on my time in Boston and also have lots to talk about regarding MW and what's been going on in my absence. Yep, that's me... no shortage of opinions! ;)

First off, there's the whole airport security thing to be considered. It could be argued you'd need to have been living under a rock not to know about the hand luggage restrictions that came in last summer. Still, it's endlessly entertaining for the rest of us to be faced with people throwing stuff away at the security checkpoint, whining about throwing stuff away, or alternatively ignoring all the enormous signs and endlessly-looped video instructions and trying to bring stuff on board anyway.

I flew from Birmingham, and this time around the console between the x-ray machines was liberally decorated with what had been pulled out of people's bags. Pride of place when I left, just after 7am (and I assume they have a clear-out of their booty every so often?) must go to the two jars of meat paste. If you were that desperate for a chicken paste sandwich wherever it is you're going, that you need to take your own jars of it in your hand luggage then you probably ought to stay home.

The weather in Boston was much like being at home, as was commented on by more than one member of hotel staff - in other words, four days of continuous rain then so much sunshine I got sunburned. BTW, the hotel I was at had the smallest bathroom I have ever seen, but it was clean and (for Boston) cheap and well-located for the maximum amount of panhandlers in the two blocks between the hotel and the T. Seriously, I don't think I have ever seen so many people hassling for change anywhere else I've been. I know a couple of people I talked to said they felt it was getting out of control and that it's going to affect the tourist trade if it carries on at this level - I didn't feel particularly threatened but it was sure as hell aggravating.

The highlights of my week in Boston were definitely the whale watching trip (complete with vomiting tourist! yay!) and a trip out to Fort Warren, though the sailors on USS Constitution proved something of a disappointment. I have to say that while those breeches that lace up at the back may be all well and good for sodomy and the lash, it makes them hang in a way that does not display manly attributes to their best!

From there, it was off to MediaWest and the usual suspects. ;)

Yes, the usual suspects says it all, really, doesn't it? It was definitely a good idea to get there on the Thursday and leave on the Tuesday, even if that meant getting up at the buttcrack of dawn for the return flight. Hopefully a combination of pestering and pleading will mean that mrwubbles (so good to see her there and looking so well!) and myfieldnotes will spend more time with us, being as ditzy as they feel necessary. I know I worry sometimes about whether my posts are at all entertaining but then think 'aww, fuck it' and post anyway!

The panels this year were very much of a muchness. So much so that a bunch of us are hoping to try and inject some life into next year's panel list, myself by stealing being inspired by the connotations panels, past and present. The Wild Wild West panel was entertaining, as usual but other than that the only panel I was interested in (on Heroes) was being modded by someone I could never get tired of slapping. He and his female alter ego (who I came to the conclusion appears if you say her name three times) made their impression once again on the panels and I know they put a bunch of folks off attending where they might be at.

Other than that, I somehow managed to not quite lose my voice (though it was close at times) and only came back with zines I'd either tribbed to or earned by slaving away in the dealer's room. Not that this is tricky when yours isn't the new shiny fandom sucking out everyone's brain producing multiple zines, of course. Even if some of it is gen with added buttsex, apparently - I never knew there were so many tears of manly pain being shed onscreen in Supernatural, considering that it's Heroes which has the obvious emo!boy on the team.

One of the best things about MW is, of course, getting my authorly ego well and truly stroked. There can be nothing bad about the whole 'I don't read that fandom, but if you wrote that novel I'm going to buy it anyway' conversation I had with a couple of people. Seriously, though, seeing 'Benedictus' (click for cover art) sell so well made me all sorts of happy and definitely made up for driving you guys (and myself) crazy with it over the past few months.

Part 2 tomorrow, including 'oh god, I've been Jossed!'...

Comments

[khek.livejournal.com]

Wait, you were in Boston? Only sixteen miles away from me, and you didn't tell me? I would have met you for lunch or dinner or something!

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Oops. I was sure I'd mentioned it before. In my defense, I have no ability to retain where anyone actually is in the US and how those places relate distance-wise to anywhere else. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! ;)

[stop_thinking]

Take it you're talking about the BTHomeHub? I just got one of those the other week. It's actually behaving so far. But I'd always recommend Netgear. I have the DG834GT 108MBPS router, but the 54MBPS version of that is just as good, and way cheaper. The hardware has a 3 year guarantee with phone technical support (American accent rather than Indian) and they replace them very rapidly if something goes wrong, which it rarely does.

After 14 days of shit speeds after my BT contract started, I've asked them to fix my line rate to 2MBPS (which I'll be lucky to get, but heck it's better than what I WAS getting). Their normal MAX setting continually negotiates for the best, most stable speed on your line. Apparently, last night, the most stable speed available on my line was 75kbps.

Before BT, I was with Pipex for four years. I had a stable 1MBPS connection for most of that time. I hope I don't regret the next 18 months of my BT contract. I'd replace the BT hub with my Netgear router, but I now have a Hub phone and BT Fusion so I'm sort of stuck.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking about that very router so I went ahead and ordered and it and so far, so good. :) Maybe it's all the tinkering I did with the now-dead Linksys router I used to have but I found the Netgear one incredibly easy to set up and at least it can see my computer in a wireless sense (unlike the Home Hub). Hopefully it will continue to do so once I move my computer back upstairs! *crosses fingers*

I hope your BT difficulties get sorted out soon!