News Munchies

The Bar is Back after Burst Blows Backbone

Originally Posted Tuesday, 23 September 2003 at 12:00 AM
Updated Saturday, 18 October 2014 at 10:36 PM

We've been out of touch, but now we're back.

About 8:00 p.m. Sunday, 21 Sep 03, a badly placed water pipe burst at a local telecom switching center used by several of the nation's Internet "backbone" providers.

CornerBarPR.com^® and Contacts On Tap™ servers were not affected, but we lost all access to the Internet when our regular and backup trunks were in sizzle mode.

Randy Leiker, CornerBarPR.com Tech God, set up a wireless link to a facility on the other side of the switch, and has been busily redirecting all URLs and IP addresses to a third Internet backbone link. So, we're up again.

Nice work, Randy!

We think the idiots who put unprotected electronic switching equipment below water pipes might want to schedule some time with their lawyers ... and terrorist protection units!

About The Author

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR

Richard B. Barger, ABC, APR, is well-positioned as CornerBarPR's Chief Curmudgeon; he's our version of Andy Rooney -- loves words, particularly loves to complain about idiocy.

In his spare time, Rich runs the inventively named Barger Consulting, where he conducts strategic communications planning and research, and gives people advice whether they want it or not.

Through the years, Rich has tricked unsuspecting folks into giving him positions as managing editor of the public relations division of a 180-person agency, and as a wire service editor, an economic analyst, a federal investigator, and, bless his little muddy boots, a farmer. Really. He fancies himself a pretty fair country editor and at one time was famous among about half a dozen people as "The Voice of IABC."

At various points in what passes for a career, he's done time as a member of IABC, PRSA, and NSPRA, as well as the Gifted Association of Missouri, the University of Missouri Alumni Association, the Council of Better Business Bureaus (as a Senior Arbitrator), and a handful of church choirs.

Known as "Boom-Boom Barger" in Marching Mizzou, Rich refuses to answer the phone during University of Missouri football or basketball games, plays a hard-edged game of bridge, and is married to a woman he doesn't like to talk about much, because she's smarter and much nicer than he is.

Barger's motto: "Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once."