Stardate 20030807.1318

(Captain's log): RoadRunner tech support has done as much checking as it can remotely, and definitely agrees that the problems I've been having are in their network. They were doing things like pinging my modem directly, which would mean that they were relying entirely on their equipment and not using my server or any of my local wiring, and they've been finding that the ping times are all over the map, and also that some packets are getting dropped entirely. But they can't actually diagnose the problem any further, so someone's going to come out tomorrow afternoon. (I had about 24 hours worth of ping-plot data that I captured and placed on my server so they could look at it, which might help some.)

The usual first reaction anytime this kind of thing happens is to replace the modem. Nor is that necessarily the wrong thing to do. The last time I had networking problems, last November, it turned out to be the modem. However, in that case it was a gradual degradation of service over a period of weeks. Nonetheless, the guy will hook into the wire outside and test the RF signal quality, and then he'll probably come in here and do the same, and then he'll probably replace the modem.

On to other subjects: There seem to be a lot of otaku in the Clueless cadre, who have been mailing me suggestions for titles to look at. So far readers have suggested the following:

Ah, My Goddess, Akira, Armitage II Polymatrix, BoogiePop Phantom, Bubble Gum Crisis, Card Captor Sakura, Castle in the Sky, Castle of Cagliostro, Catnapped, Cowboy Bebop series, Crest of the Stars, Dragon-half, FLCL, Galaxy Express 999, Gasaraki, Ghost in the SHell, Grave of the Fireflies, Gunsmith Cats, Hack Sign, Hakkenden, Hanabei Renmei, Hoshi no Koe, Kiki's Delivery Service, Kisshin Corp, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Macross Plus, Miyu, My Neighbor Totoro, Nadeshiko, Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Night on the Intergalactic Railroad, Ninja Scroll, Outlaw Star, Perfect Blue, Porco Rosso, Rah Xephon, RahXephon, Read or Die, Record of the Lodoss Wars, Revolutionary Girl: Utena, Rune Soldier, Rurouni Kenshin, Rurouni Kenshin, Saber Marionette J, Serial Experiments Lain, Sherlock Hound, Spirited Away, Tenchi Muyo, The Big O, The Crimson Pig, The Slayers, Those who hunt Elves, Trigun, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Voices of a Distant Star, Wings of Honneamise, Witchhunter Robin

I figure that's about $10,000 and five years worth of viewing right there, so I'm fixed now for recommendations.

By far the most commonly recommended title was Spirited Away which was created by the same director that created Princess Mononoke, and I definitely intend to get that one.