No posts for the last few days, but it wasn't my fault. This site has been inaccessible to me since Tuesday evening, via browser or FTP client. I could still pull email, which was odd, but I figured it was just one of those things, so I gave it 24 hours before mailing my host. To their credit, they replied the next day, and didn't even blame me for the problem!
The issue you are having, not being able to access your site, is due to a router outside of our network having problems. This router is owned and operated by AT&T Communications.
We believe that AT&T is aware of the issue, however you should still contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and report it to them.
Unfortunately, this issue cannot be resolved by Gate.com. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience. Your site is up and functioning at this time. It seems that only people passing through their router are affected.
Annoyed, I tried pinging to it from
a few other servers, and sure enough, they all went right through. I could even surf to my site via
Megaproxy, but their free service won't let you upload anything, so I couldn't even make a forum post saying why I hadn't been making any blog posts.
Desperate, I actually did what they suggested, and mailed Comcast about the problem. I'm sure my email spurred
immediate action, and as you can see, access has been restored.
As for the last three days... work, work, work. Lots of novel writing and editing, last Kali class of the year on Tuesday, heavy time at the gym Wednesday and Thursday, Chinese food with Malaya on Thursday, and an Xmas party tonight with some friends of hers from work. And after that, there will likely be a lot more novel work; I did something like 8 hours on it yesterday, and I'm pretty happy with how things are going.
No word yet from Flagship about the job, but I figure that's mostly about them not wanting to proactively ruin anyone's Xmas with a job denial. I'm not nervous about it, since I don't think I've got a chance. I would love to hold the Community Manager position, and I think I would do a great job at it, but I don't think I'll get hired. I think they'll pick some young kid fresh out of college with a CS degree and the ability to code CSS and other web languages from scratch. He'll have a minor or some slight work experience in PR-stuff, and who knows, maybe he'll even do a good job for them. Not as good as I would have done, especially in terms of website content and ideas and fan relations, but hey, they'll have a hella pretty website. And the whole application process has inexplicably given me a big boost on my novel-writing motivation, so something delightful will/has come out of it already.
As for my weekly NFL belaboring... I'll keep it short. Amazingly, the local TV listings claim that I'll get to see the SF@StL crapfest, and the Oakland@Denver massacre, but that through some act of mercy, I'll also have the option of SD@KC, showing at the same time as the SF game. I continue to be perplexed by the NFL on TV issues in the Bay Area. Why did the first 12 weeks pass with just SF and Oakland on TV, and never a third game, when now, we've had 3 weeks in a row of multiple viewing options? All when SF's game has been on? Is there some arcane rule that the home team's road games can be programed against once they're officially out of playoff contention, or what?
On the playoffs, for several days I've been possessed of an illogical and yet peaceful serenity about my old home town SD Chargers. I had a dream earlier this week, and in it I was watching media reports about them, with people talking about them having gone on the most amazing six game run in memory. They'd won their last 3 games of the season, all against very good teams, and then won three playoff games on the road, and were in the Superbowl. And there was much rejoicing.
I'm not claiming any psychic abilities, but since I almost never remember my dreams, and certainly don't have them about sports teams, this has been an odd week. The peaceful feeling lingers though, and as a result I am entirely confident that SD will win their last 2 games, and that front-running Pittsburgh or Jacksonville will spit the bit, thus letting SD into the playoffs. I think Pittsburgh will win out, but since Jacksonville has played like shit for a month, it might catch up with them this week in Houston. If not, they'll have a playoff spot clenched going into week 17, and they might actually want to lose, dropping into the 6th spot and facing either Denver or Cincinnati, rather than the suddenly-terrifying New England Patriots, in the first round. Either way, SD will win out and get in, though I'm not taking the dream so far as to guarantee a superbowl appearance.
More blogging later, perhaps. For now, we've got to run some pre-party errands and pick up a pie for dessert. TTFN.
