Okay, not too bad
Penguin Web Hosting has come through, settling the spam issue (realizing I was not to blame,) and all is well on the Stork Server. I thank them for their service.
That said, I do not thank Charter.
Really, are there people in this world that don't work for Charter Communications that would defend them? You hear proponents of the two satellite services all the time, but rarely does someone say "I love Charter!" Perhaps their internet service would be complemented, but their cable leaves much to be desired.
When they added their digital service in the late summer of 2000, we were one of the first to sign up, and I soon discovered how sad the offering was. We paid over $90 a month (since we had the premiums, save Starz) and were treated to just four HBOs when, for the same price, the Metro East Charter customers got eight. We had half the digital channels that most of Southern Illinois had, but paid the same.
Ridiculous.
My father, from whom Charter rents their Sparta office, has been looking for a reason to dump the service for while now, and his prayers were answered on Tuesday evening. I came home to find the cable out; the line running into the house had snapped. Father told me he called Charter, who informed him it would be Friday before they came out. While he sometimes has unrealistic service expectations, my dad was correct in thinking this to be rubbish: for something urgent like this (that also does not take more than an hour, if half that time, to do, and does not require someone to be home,) a faster response is necessary. So a deadline was established: call back by midnight to say that someone would be out within a day, or Charter would be cancelled.
We didn't even wait until midnight to sign up with DirecTV.
Even though I sell DirecTV (and Charter) at work, I signed up though the Interweb. Two DVRs and a standard receiver, $100 up front for the second DVR. When the web interface wouldn't let me pick an installation date/time, I called their offices, only to be told that web orders don't show up in the system until the next day and I would have to call back.
The next day I called back to find out the earliest available installation was August 11.
Too bad.
Cancelled!
I immediately called Dish Network. Specifically, I called the local dealer in Spartatown that told me they could be at my house Friday (today) at 10 AM (later pushed back until 2 PM.) Much better.
So, you have the guy that rents Charter's building to them and his son who sells Charter and DirecTV signing up for Dish Network. Fun.