-=> Sean Dennis wrote to Dave Drum <=-

 DD> Illinois Bell is trying to con its subscribers into switching to the
 DD> cell based landlines. I'm keeping my hard wired phone service so they
 DD> have to maintain their decaying infrastructure.

 SD> Around here, the POTS system has been bought and sold so many times I'm
 SD> losing track.  Looks like it's CenturyLink but it's now a DBA for
 SD> another company called Lumen.

Other than when I lived in Californica I've always been on good ol' Ma
Bell for telephone. Even through all the anti-trust bust ups and 
reformations it has been some form of AT&T. And once fiber came to 
my part of town I told the cable ($cumca$t/Xfinity) about that place
where the sun never shines and went with AT&T fiber. Since I qualify
for the Gummint's "Affordable Connectivity Program" .....

 SD> My ISP is actually my local power board and I'm getting 300/300 fiber
 SD> for $20 a month with an extra $5 going towards a public-facing IPv4
 SD> address (without it, I couldn't run the BBS).  I'm very satisfied with
 SD> my service and when I can afford it, I'll switch to 1GB/1GB fiber for
 SD> $80 a month.

 SD> Loocks like with an ACP account, you can get free DSL but this service
 SD> I get is so much better and stable.

What would they charge/rent on modems, etc. When I ditched $cumca$t they
began dunnung me to return their modem and router. At which poin t I told
the agent (who spoke heavily accented Engrish) to re-check the records, 
I never rented a single piece from them.

 SD> I can't get a price quote on a simple POTS line without "chatting with
 SD> an agent".  CenturyLink is notorious for its terrible customer service.

 SD> Since it's 27F out right now:

That's nippy for your area. I'm looking at 31F - but the sun isn't up
over the eastern horizon yet. Supposed to go all the way up to 38F by
lunchtime.

 SD> MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

 SD>       Title: Cottage Stew
 SD>  Categories: Crockpot, Soups & ste, Beef
 SD>       Yield: 1 Servings

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Easy Cottage Pie
 Categories: Beef, Potatoes, Vegetables, Herbs
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      2 lb Potatoes; peeled, quartered
      8 tb Butter
      1 md Onion; chopped; 1 1/2 cups
      2 c  Mixed vegetables; diced
           - carrots, corn, peas
  1 1/2 lb Ground beef
    1/2 c  Beef broth
      1 ts Worcestershire sauce
           Salt & pepper, seasonings
           - of choice
 
  BOIL THE POTATOES: Place the peeled and quartered potatoes
  in medium sized pot. Cover with at least an inch of cold
  water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to
  a simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).
  
  SAUT� VEGETABLES: While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4
  tablespoons of the butter in a large saut� pan on medium
  heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender, about
  6 to 10 minutes. If you are including vegetables, add them
  according to their cooking time. Carrots should be cooked
  with the onions, because they take as long to cook as the
  onions do. If you are including peas or corn, add them
  toward the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the
  meat starts to cook, as they take very little cooking
  time.
  
  ADD THE GROUND BEEF, THEN WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE AND BROTH:
  Add ground beef to the pan with the onions and vegetables.
  Cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper.
  Add the worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring the
  broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered
  for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to
  keep the meat from drying out.
  
  MASH THE COOKED POTATOES: When the potatoes are done
  cooking (a fork can easily pierce), remove them from the
  pot and place them in a bowl with the remaining 4 Tbsp of
  butter. Mash with a fork or potato masher, and season with
  salt and pepper to taste.
  
  LAYER THE MEAT MIXTURE AND MASHED POTATOES IN A CASSEROLE
  DISH: Preheat oven to 400�F/204�C. Spread the beef,
  onions, and vegetables (if using) in an even layer in a
  large baking dish (8" x 13" casserole). Spread the mashed
  potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the
  surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are
  peaks that will get well browned. You can even use a fork
  to make creative designs in the mashed potatoes.
  
  BAKE IN OVEN: Place in a 400�F/204�C oven and cook until
  browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. If necessary,
  broil for the last few minutes to help the surface of the
  mashed potatoes brown.
  
  VARIATIONS: Put a layer of creamed corn between the ground
  beef and the mashed potatoes.
  
  Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top of the mashed
  potatoes before baking.
  
  The original recipe comes from Frances Hochschild, and
  her mother.
  
  RECIPE FROM: http://recipesource.com
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
 
MMMMM


... Cooking, like love, should be entered into with abandon. Or not at all
 
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