No, an incredibly slow search turned up that Hughes Network, a satellite internet provider to which I and many rural customers are attached to, can individually target my computer and slow me down to a dead snail's pace if I have gone over some limit that I have no idea what it is at the moment since I am still a slacker residing in the luxury basement accommodations.
It seems that the 69 updates for Microsoft and Windows that were needed to get the crashed computer back up to speed from a couple of years old, factory condition operating system re-installation sucked up a lot of bandwidth and my satellite dish was punished for 24 hours.
ISPs have the ability now to target individual computers. They can certainly target individual sites. This makes the need for Net Neutrality all the more necessary. Given the power and the ability to charge for preferred access we can easily imagine the results won't be in the consumer's best interest.
I needed to get out of the house anyway. The ground's still froze and a bit sticky, not the best conditions for shovelin' dirt in the cabin's basement patio and I kinda tweaked my back cutting up the rest of the fallen trees by the big blue pot.
I decided to go for a drive down a road not yet taken, to see more of the neighborhood.
Tucked into the folds and coves of the mountains is an older way of life that is coming into more and more contact with a burgeoning world. Sprinkled into this rural farm land were quite a few luxurious mountain style homes. I do not think farming in these mountains has all of a sudden become such a lucrative enterprise that these big houses are beginning to pop up. I didn't take a picture of one. You know what they look like.
Up at the top of Crabtree Gap there is a view down into the town of Canton. Mt. Pisgah and Cold Mountain are in the distance.
Looking back in the other direction is another view of Mt. Sterling in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that I can see from my place too. Tennessee is just over that mountain, down the valley and at the top of the next mountain ridge.
The old still lingers.
And on a clear sunny day I was fortunate to be able to see it.
Driving through the neighborhood, once again I realized how wise the resident gardeners were when they picked this spot I now call home some thirty years ago.
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9 comments:
You have some magnificent views - I imagine the countryside is idyllic once the trees have leaves. I hope the old stays around and doesn't get crowded out by all those new monster houses.
It's a shame to hear of this invasion in your neck of the woods. We have owned property in a rural waterfront area in Md. for 25 years and are soon to move there permanently - just in time to be surrounded by megamansions. What are these people THINKING??? I am hoping the recession will slow them down.....
Those are magnificent views indeed! I love the Smokey Mountains.
Kate green trees would possibly make for a more idyllic scene than the browns of winter or if I wasn't such a chicken I could have driven up here in the snows from last week for that idyllic winter scene.
Bev I have read several headlines/articles that have said the population of NC is expected to increase by 50% in the next twenty five years. A recession may be the only thing that will slow it down.
It is gorgeous here Robin, even in the browns of winter. A might chilly though. I will adjust.
Where is all the snow?!
In terms of broadband, I think this country needs more competition to offer better services and drive prices down. It's crazy that they've punished you like that. It'll get better tho'. The people living in those McMansions will demand better Internet, and they'll have to invest in better e-infrastructure for everyone. The U.S. in general is way behind a lot of countries in broadband service, although most of the ones that have better access than us are much more aggressively taxed than we are. So it goes.
This is the South. Snow melts, except across the street from me on the north facing side of the mountain were it is taking its sweet time.
Nice tour through the neighborhood.
There is no place like home. Your blood will thicken in due time and your winters won't feel so cold.
Your neighborhood looks alot like rural southeast TN. I have thought of taking some photos of the old barns and cabins and even houses to let people know what it is like here. We are not in as desirable location with the mountain views as you are, but I-75 runs right past us and Knoxville and Chattanooga are encroaching, slowly but surely. Life here is still slow and old timey, politics is good ole boy, and if you weren't born here, fuhgedaboudit! Your area is on the fast track for development and there doesn't seem to be any force to control or put a brake on it. They see tax dollar signs in their eyes. You can tell I feel strongly about this, sorry for such a long comment.
Frances at Faire Garden
Go Net Neutrality!
Save the individual publisher!
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