[Tom H]

All you folks who are computer wizards will probable get a kick out of this ol guys computer experiences. One of the biggest problems I have with my computer is knowing when I did something wrong, my computer did something wrong, or the gods are just against me. For the past several months my computer has been acting up. Actually, its been slowing down and taking way too long to do some things. This has been intermitent. I started to try to see what was causing this problem. I cleaned up everything that I could, but the problems still were there. I have the cable TV, computer, and the telephone all bundled together. It wasn't until I was talking to THOMP last week on the telephone that I realized he couldn't always hear me...So I called the cable company and they came out. They changed the modum, but I still had problems. Called again. This time they sent a country boy out. He climbed up to the top of the pole where the cable drop was. He yelled down "got it". He brought a section of cable down that had been chewed on by squirrels. Well I don't know about the telephone, but my computer is 100% better now. Wife said, "Looks like we'll be having some squirrel gravy soon". I said, "yep".

Tom H

[Mischief]

LOL Thom!! I helped out with IT( nothing like free amature IT consultant right?) where I work and when I started reading I was thinking of things like....oh maybe he needs to defrag or maybe he has spyware etc. It is such a kick to see it was mother nature at work. Do you think you are going to
carve this caricature of a mad squirrel chewing away at cable wires next?

[BobT]

I know they eat a lot of phone lines around here. Maybe you should throw some old wire out in the yard to keep them busy?
BobT

[Thomp]

hummm!

well tom,

thats a new tech tip ill have to add to my first suggestions when helping folks do computer fixes

1. make a big squirrel GUMBO!

2 then reboot !

[Marci MN]

LOL Oh I can relate to those problems. Our phone line goes under what is now a pond but wasnt when phone lines were put in.
We have problems EVERY spring.. thaw. They phone co. does NOT want to replace the lines cuz it would add another mile to thier line to go around the lake wich is on the other side of the pond. They come up with every reason they can on WHY I have connection problems. So I started making up my own to get them to come look. lol

I've had them going with " ma'am.. could you send someone out because a snapping turtle is caught in the phone line" or " a pelican keeps pulling the line up out of the water and it disconnects me". One lady remembers me and gets a kick out of my 'guessing' what it is this year. LOL Once the ice is completely thawed the computer problems go away... mmmm

I'm glad you found an answer to your line problems. Squirrel stew and dumplins sound good.

[rakau]

We dont have squirrel problems here in NZ,we have possums,almost every power
pole and telephone pole has a piece of
sheet aluminium wrapped around to stop
the b%*=#r,s climbing up.