So as promised, here is my April 2009 Life Update Post, a.k.a., Update v2.3. And to start this post, in my last post, I brought up the hotel owner I sent a bid for an all-new wireless network. Well, I have been unable to get a hold of the guy and probably never will. It’s really such a bummer. Oh well, I can do without, the job would have been 3 hours away in Ohio.

So after so many freaking months, I finally got an application into AT&T. I honestly don’t understand what took me so long to do so, I originally talk to that guy at AT&T back late last year. He told me he would call his contact, Sylvia, in Human Resources and get my application approved. That does remind me, my family finally got AT&T U-verse install. So far, we absolutely love it. Way better HD over Comcast and I’m shocked to see the number of U-verse installs in our neighborhood alone. I’ve seen several installer trucks around our area for the last couple months. My Dad went to return the Comcast STB and he said there easily the majority of the people in line were there to return equipment. Take that Comcast! Comcast is finally getting a kick in their monopoly in the pay TV service. With U-verse, we got 4 STBs which come standard with HD compatibility. — Only two of our TVs are actually HD. The HD looks wonderful and crisp, even at only 720p. Oh, they also have several anime titles free on demand. I already watched the entire Azumanga Daioh series, it now has to be one of my favorites.Anyways, getting back on topic

Anyways, getting back on topic. AT&T requires you use their 2Wire Gateway modem and that’s probably my only disappointment with the service. Which is a bummer because up until now, I’d been using a professional grade Netscreen Router, so my VPN is no longer working. The 2Wire uses a whole new protocol called VDSL, unlike the old modems which used ADSL. This technology so much more restrictive that you must have the same chipset in your modem as the VRAD down the road. And only so many people know what that chipset it. However, today I received a Linksys PAP2T modem I order from eBay. Anyone not familiar with what a PAP device does, it’s basically an adapter that takes a VoIP telephone number and connects it to a physical phone. So now I can talk with people in Japan for cheaper than using my cell phone or my parent’s house phone. It’s super sweet.

The only reason I finally got my application into AT&T is that the guy I met back at Blockbuster, came by my house during our U-verse install. He was checkup to find out why it was taking the install 9-hours to do our total install. It took the guy from 8:40 AM till 5:40 PM. I guess he’s a supervisor for the Mokena garage. He saw me and right away asked, “Joel, right?” I nearly forgot what he looked like, so this sort of took me by surprise. He told me that the only positions now available were two and a half hours south, near Danville. So I would likely have to find an apartment for around $500 per month. I’m desperate enough so I will take anything, to be honest.

And with so much time on hand, I decided to launch my own social media website ripoff. I decided to call it MyMiuchi, which miuchi is a Japanese noun for family or relative. I invite everyone to try to join, I’ve worked really hard on it.

P.S. In regards to my mission to visit Japan. I found out from my grandmother that I have a 2nd or 3rd cousin who lives in Japan. I think that’s awesome and I should try contacting him soon.