¶ Matins: Today, I ascend to N! Will I regret it?

¶ Tierce: … And they don’t advertise. That’s part of how Steve & Barry’s, retailers with a price cap of $10 $8.98 per item, has become a billion-dollar company. What a chilling prospect for the Mad Men.

¶ Sext: Migs test-drives the latest in Philippine highways, and takes notes.

¶ Vespers: Where’s my hankie? Exxon Mobil’s first-quarter profits are so disappointing! (Other, more interesting news below the jump.)

Oremus…

§ Matins. In my search for truly reliable Wi-Fi service… Oh, well, I’ve probably already made myself out to be a complete fool just  by asking for that. But the cable guy (who confessed that he was really a “computer technician”) who paid a visit last Saturday strongly recommended N.

It was the third option, actually. First, I was to make sure that the booster wasn’t broken —  by replacing it (“save the receipt”). Then, I was to make sure that the router wasn’t malfunctioning — by replacing it (“save the receipt”). Third, if Steps One and Two failed, I ought to “go to the next level.” In the interest of sanity, if not of economy, I decided to cut out the hooey and go straight to “the next level.” Which is: N.

In the immortal words of Sybil Fawlty, “It’ll probably all fall down by lunchtime.”

§ Tierce. Steve & Barry’s counts on word of mouth. So do I. Advertising is for idiots. What kind of business model uses advertising as a foundation? A very short-sighted one.

Here is what has happened: not only does Steve & Barry’s not advertise in the pages of The New York Times (or anywhere else, outside of its own Web site), but, simply by being newsworthy, it gets The New York Times to advertise it.

§ Sext. Our man in Manila reports on the last thing anybody needs right now. Can we please go back to trains?  

§ Vespers. Now, profits aren’t enough. Production has to be up, too. These picky investors!

Wireless N Update: Aborted. Instead, Jason from Tech Time installed a new Wireless G system, with more powerful equipment, and all of it chosen and configured by one man: Jason. It works beautifully (so far)! Of course, the old system was working pretty well this week, too. But it had — lost my confidence.

Kathleen has “landed” at Penn Station, and is on her way home, where she will throw herself into bed while a chicken roasts for dinner. Her panels in Albany went well, but the moment they cut the lights, she cratered. Not cut out for stardom, I guess.

Drop me a line at rjk@dailyblague.com
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