oh dear ... I know it's not nice to laugh, but I overheard someone in my office complaining that ever since he opened the e-mail message that came through in Chinese and tried to get it converted, his computer's been acting up.

I overheard someone in my office complaining that ever since he opened the e-mail message that came through in Chinese and tried to get it converted, his computer's been acting up.

Instant karma for unwelcome proselytizing, can't say I blame you for a chortle or two.

COMCAST IS SATAN. No wonder I put off this phone call for so damned long. I'm on my 3rd call (plus one chat) because I had to keep getting switched because I was "downgrading". EFFING RIDICULOUS!!! I cannot wait for Fios or whatever to get to DC so that I can tell them to kiss my ass. I have a balcony, I can get a dish. I hate dishes, but I hate Comcast more right now.

ARGH!!! Just got cut off! We were almost finished!!!

Well, that sucks, Vortex. May those responsible for not handling your account changes efficiently end up with painful plantar warts, and end up treating them with duck tape, only when they go to the store to buy the tape, there is only one color left, and that happens to be a plaid that does not go with any of their clothes.

I'm sure Comcast is baffled by why you don't want more of their "service," Vortex.

During the same period when I had been calling Comcast for three months to try to find out why I wasn't getting a particular channel, Comcast kept trying to sell me phone service. I kept saying, "If you can't get me channel 36, why would I believe your phone service would be a good thing?"

Then there's the name change to Xfinity, which reminds me a lot of when the Atlanta city council changed Stewart Avenue to Metropolitan Parkway, because Stewart Avenue had become associated with prostitution. Apparently the idea was that the hookers would see the Metropolitan street signs, become confused and go elsewhere.

At one point the building I live in worked out a deal with what was then StarPower for cable service. They pretty much had a monopoly on the building and, if you wanted cable, you also had to switch your phone service to them; same for internet service. Well, as you might expect, if one went out, everything went out ... which once left a neighbor sick at home with no phone, no internet - so she couldn't work from home - and no TV for entertainment.

Then there's the name change to Xfinity, which reminds me a lot of when the Atlanta city council changed Stewart Avenue to Metropolitan Parkway, because Stewart Avenue had become associated with prostitution. Apparently the idea was that the hookers would see the Metropolitan street signs, become confused and go elsewhere.

I've seen that episode of Big Bang Theory. As I recall, it doesn't work.

I just got back from a day in Johnstown. I saw some history museums, and I rode the Inclined Plane, and I saw the valley that used to be the lake that caused the flood. The clubhouse for the fishing club is still there, but I was getting tired and decided not to see it this time.

Johnstown itself was pretty run-down -- the economy was almost entirely dependent on Cambria Steel, and the city hasn't really recovered from the steel plants closing.

I'm sad to hear that Johnstown isn't doing well. A book about the flood was on our bookshelf when I was growing up so I always assumed most people knew about the disaster but it seems like just the opposite is true.

On the other hand, funicular railways rule!