18 December 2023

An update on the future of Flathead Memo

By James Conner

Two situations account for my recent paucity of posts on Flathead Memo.

Antibiotics, greenbacks, & flat on my back. My last post, a commentary on Matt Rosendale’s possible candidacy for U.S. Senate (see today’s update) was a month ago. Since then, I’ve been employing powerful and expensive antibiotics to fight several dangerous bacterial infections. I’m winning. But I’m also exhausted. And when I recover from this, I’m headed for surgery on my arm.

Will I still be posting on Flathead Memo? Yes. Will I be posting as frequently as planned? No, damnit. But I will be posting. I still enjoy writing, and I still have a few things to say.

Ambushed by 50-year-old wires. File this under the aggrevations a 50-year-old house can unleash. Ten days ago, before leaving for a kidney dialysis session, I put my computer to sleep. When I returned home and awakened it, my internet was down.

It’s still down because my house’s 50-year-old telephone wires are dead and beyond resurrection. I’m cut off from my primary email account, and thus cut off from my Social Security account and most accounts protected by two-factor authentication.

p> A solid internet connection is a necessity, not a luxury. I need reliable, high speed access to my medical and financial networks. The same is true for many, perhaps most, and most certainly for patients with serious medical conditions. My iPhone provides some internet access, but it’s no substitute for full access via a desktop system.

The cure? Installing a new telephone connector into which I can plug my new DSL modem. That requires running a wire less than six feet from the box connecting my house to CenturyLink’s fiber optic. Getting this done during Christmas week will require both scheduling and financial miracles. At the moment, neither is in sight.

Thanks for your continued interest in Flathead Memo. May your holiday season be joyous, peaceful, and filled with hope and laughter.