Calling all New Englanders (but hello again everyone else!)

[Heather Hathwell]

I am sooooo excited to be able to re-connect with FTLOPers. It's been a long, isolated year-plus while waiting to be internet-connected, something I (as a former Los Angeles person) took totally for granted when I moved out here to the Pioneer Valley in Western Mass. With everything that goes on around here on a year-round basis, 4 prestigious colleges plus the flagship of the University of Massachusetts, umpteen high profile prep schools, art, music, restaurants and more... it sure is surprising to have to struggle so hard for basic connectivity. I'm now on satellite. Not all the way there, but at least it works, and this area really is awesome.

Anywho..... I would love to find out how many FTLOPers live in and around Northampton/Amherst and its environs (say, an hour's drive radius but two is fine), and perhaps arrange an informal gathering of 5-10, explore interests and regional sources, and with sufficient interest plan an offline sometime soon. Where do you find good Douro wines, or must one drive to Boston or NYC? My good local source in Amherst carries some Douro and a little port, and the owner has a passion for Portugues wine (and madeira to some degree) but apparently there is no "local" interest in madeira (apart from cooking -- eeeks!). I am on a mission to change that thinking.

Cheers!

[Peter W. Meek]

Can't help with local port fanciers, but can sympathize about the unexplained "deserts" of broadbandlessness. My daughter recently visited form the wilds of mid-Michigan ( ) and brought all of her computers and portables in order to do all her upgrades. She in on Satellite, but what with the speed restrictions and quantity limits, she can't really do upgrades reliably, and leave enough capacity for the kids to do homework. I thought there was some kind of initiative to bring broadband to just about everyone. Not so?

[Andy Velebil]

Heather,

back!! Was wondering where you went to. Glad to hear all is well, sans the internet issues.

[Heather Hathwell]

Peter: Wired West is the most recent local initiative, commenced by a group of tech savvy people in the environs. It's been slow but happening gradually. There was even a mention in the paper about how this was first raised 15 years ago by Mass Broadband (I think that's the name), and what a joke it is to have still taken this long..... even so, they are only doing middle mile. And they say that want to attract business and hi-tech. That surely is the way to do it..... drag feet.

Andy: Thank you! I am so glad to be back on the forum and in touch. Now if I can just find some local or quasi-local FTLOPers, or of course those passing through. Scott and I would love to try to put something simple together. Either that or we have to hijack Roy when he's next in the Boston or NY area and find a few other aficionados in the meantime. We promise very good food..... this valley is amazing. We are even starting a real garden. Now if we could find a good local source for ..... we'll be ready.

[Moses Botbol]

I live in Boston and would enjoy an offline port - Douro wine event. Plenty of places around Boston have excellent selection if you can ever get down to New Bedford/Fall River, they'll have everything you can imagine from Portugal.